Best Duck Breasts With Turnips And Eastern Spices Recipes

DUCK BREASTS WITH TURNIPS AND EASTERN SPICES

Steps:

• Trim the ends of the turnips and peel them. Cut into 1/4-inch slices.
• Place the duck breasts and the turnips in a large saucepan, and cover with boiling water. Cook, simmering, over low heat for one minute. Remove the duck breast, and cook the turnips two minutes longer. Remove the turnips, and place the duck breasts and the turnips into an ice-water bath to prevent them from cooking further. When cool, remove the duck and the turnips. Pat the duck dry with a paper towel. Using a sharp knife, remove the thick, excess fat, leaving a thin layer of fat underneath. Score the surface of the fat diagonally.
• Grind the coriander, clove and cumin by placing them on a cutting board and crushing them with a heavy sauce pan. This can also be done in a spice mill, but be careful not to grind them too finely -- you want a crunchy texture to the spice crust.
• Meanwhile, season the duck breast with salt and pepper. Place in a skillet over medium-high heat, skin side down, until lightly browned, about 2 minutes. Add the turnips, turning them from time to time, and continue cooking another 2 minutes. Remove the duck and turnips from the skillet, and pour off the fat. Pat the skin of the duck with paper towels to absorb any excess fat.
• In the same skillet, combine the honey and white vinegar. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly, until the mixture begins to caramelize lightly and evenly. Add the ground spices while stirring. Be careful not to burn. Remove the skillet from the heat. Return duck breasts to the skillet, fatty side down. Move them around in the pan to coat them with the spice mixture. Remove the duck, and keep warm.
• Return the skillet to medium-high heat, and add the cider. Cook, scraping the side and bottom of the pan, until all the brown particles are dissolved. Add the chicken broth, and bring to a simmer. Add the duck breasts, fatty side up, and place the turnips around them. Simmer for about 3 to 4 minutes. Remove the duck and keep warm. The meat should be pink in the center.
• Bring the sauce and the turnips to a boil and cook until reduced by more than half, until the sauce has thickened to a syrupy consistency.
• Cut the breasts on a bias into thin slices. Arrange the slices of the breasts in a fan shape in the center of a warm serving plate. Garnish with turnip slices, and spoon the sauce around. Garnish with parsley.

DUCK BREAST WITH GRAPES, TURNIPS AND A PORT EMULSION

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Score the duck skin with a sharp knife. Season both sides of the breast with salt, but only put pepper on the flesh side. Place breast in a cold saute pan and place over low heat. As fat renders out of the skin, drain it off. When skin is crisp and golden, increase flame to medium and turn breast over. Add 2 of the thyme sprigs, the garlic clove and about 2 tablespoons butter. Finish cooking the breasts until medium rare. Remove from the pan and hold in a 200 degree oven. Drain off excess fat from pan. Add shallots and cook until translucent, about one minute. Add port, remaining thyme sprigs, ground coriander seeds and vinegar. Reduce until almost all the liquid is gone. Whisk in cold unsalted butter cubes in small additions. If emulsion becomes too thick , add a touch of chicken stock or water. Strain and keep in a warm, not hot, place. Saute in butter or vegetable oil the turnips until golden or tender. Season with salt and black pepper. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. Repeat the process with the grapes. Drain on paper towels and keep warm. To serve, slice the duck breast thinly. Arrange on warm plates (not too hot, or your emulsion may break). Mix together the emulsion, turnips, and grapes. Spoon over the duck and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh thyme leaves, chervil pluches, or chive points.

BRAISED DUCK WITH TURNIPS

Steps:

• Cut away duck backbones and discard. Cut off first 2 joints of each wing and reserve. Cut ducks into quarters. Remove any fat. Pat duck pieces dry with paper towels. Pierce skin all over with fork. Season with salt and pepper.
• Heat vegetable oil in heavy large Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add duck quarters, skin side down, and cook until golden, about 8 minutes. Turn and cook 3 minutes longer. Transfer to large bowl. Add wings and giblets to Dutch oven and cook until golden, turning frequently, about 10 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to another bowl.
• Pour off all but 2 tablespoons duck fat from Dutch oven. Add onions, carrots, parsley stems, thyme and bay leaf to Dutch oven. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. Add 3 1/2 cups broth, wine, giblets and wings. Cover and simmer 30 minutes.
• Strain liquids and return to pot. Add duck quarters; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover partially and simmer until cooked through, turning occasionally, about 40 minutes. Transfer duck to plate.
• Cook turnips in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, about 25 minutes. Drain; cut into quarters. Combine 1/4 cup chicken broth and cornstarch in small bowl and whisk to blend.
• Skim fat from duck cooking liquid. Boil liquid until reduced to 2 1/2 cups, about 10 minutes. Add cornstarch mixture and whisk until sauce thickens slightly. Add duck and turnips. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until duck and turnips are heated through, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Rewarm over medium heat.) Transfer to large bowl. Top with minced parsley.

ROAST DUCK BREAST WITH DRIED CHERRIES AND PORT

Steps:

• Wrap each duck breast in plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet until each breast is about 1 inch thick. Place the duck on a plate, sprinkle both sides with a total of 4 teaspoons salt, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook the duck, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife, making a crosshatch pattern but not cutting down to the meat.
• In a large (12-inch) heavy-bottomed, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, discarding the fat from the pan occasionally, until the skin is very browned. Turn the duck with tongs, place the skillet in the oven, and roast for 12 to 18 minutes, until the internal temperature of the duck is 120 degrees F for rare. Remove from the oven, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots and saute for 2 minutes, until tender. Add the vinegar and cook for one minute. Add the Port, chicken stock, cherries, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, orange zest, and orange juice and keep warm over low heat.
• Transfer the duck to a cutting board and slice diagonally, fanning the slices out on 4 dinner plates. Spoon the sauce generously on top, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with extra sauce on the side.