Crispy Duck Breast with Root Vegetable Cream, Farro Risotto and Sliced Apple
When I write my holiday menus, I like to compose dishes, pairing a protein with a side and vegetable that complement each other in texture, flavor, and presentation. Serving meals this way saves you from making an excessive amount of dishes and sides, and from an overload of leftovers. It’s elegant and refined, and works perfectly for the holidays when you want to do something a little bit more special!
Ingredients
3 Heritage Kosher duck breasts (estimate half a breast per person)
Root vegetable cream:1 medium Spanish onion, peeled and diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
Salt, to taste
1 fennel bulb, chopped
3 parsley roots or 2 small parsnips, peeled and chopped
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and chopped
1 cup unsweetened almond milk
Farro:1 tablespoon Earth Balance, or other vegan butter substitute
3 shallots, finely diced
2-4 cloves of garlic, crushed
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 ½ cups farro cooked al dente, according to package instructions
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme, removed from sprig and minced
5 cups homemade or good quality store-bought chicken broth
Fresh parsley, chopped, for garnish
to serve:1 Granny Smith apple, quartered and then shaved thinly with a peeler or mandoline
Microgreens or freshly chopped parsley
Maldon salt
Preparation
For the duck:1. While still cold, score the duck breast skin with a sharp knife. Make shallow diagonal cuts across the width of the breast, cutting through the skin but not the meat below. Pat dry with paper towel and generously season skin with salt to help draw out liquid and keep it crispy.
2. Take out a wide, heavy-bottomed pan, preferably cast iron. Place duck breasts skin-side down into the cold pan, then turn the heat to medium. As the pan heats slowly, the breast's skin and fat will too, rendering out the fat and making the skin incredibly crispy.
3. After about 4 minutes, carefully remove the rendered fat (now in liquid form) from the pan, leaving a little behind to cook the duck with. Flip and cook skin side up for another 2 minutes, or until an internal temperature of 135F. Remove from heat and let rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing.
Sous vide option:Duck is a great candidate for sous vide cooking, because it is quite lean, which means it can be hard to cook traditionally and reheat without the risk of drying it out. This method works perfectly for the holidays, because you can cook it sous vide and then sear just before serving it, so it’s perfectly crispy and fresh! If making this on yom tov, cook duck breast in the sous vide at 133F for 1 ½ hours (you can put it in just before the holiday and keep it in until the meal), then remove and sear skin just before serving.
For the cream:Season onion and garlic with salt and saute over low heat until soft, approximately 15 minutes. Add fennel, parsnip, and thyme. Season with a little more salt and saute for another 10 minutes. Add apple, saute 5 more minutes. Add almond milk and just enough water to cover the vegetables. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer for 25-30 minutes, until vegetables are soft and can be pierced with a fork. Drain well, then blend all vegetables until soft and creamy. Season with additional salt, if needed.
For the farro:1. Heat Earth Balance in a large frying pan, then saute shallots and garlic with a sprinkle of salt until soft and
tender, about 20 minutes. Add the cooked farro and saute for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally, until everything gets a little crispy. Add thyme and about half the stock and simmer uncovered on low, stirring every few minutes to help release the starches. Once the stock is reduced, add remaining stock and repeat. Stir frequently, about every 2-3 minutes. Simmer on low heat until farro has a very creamy consistency, around 35 - 40 minutes. Season with salt, to taste. To reheat for the holiday meal, add a little chicken stock so that it doesn't dry out, cover and place into warm oven. Stir again before serving.
To serve:Spread a few tablespoons of root vegetable cream on each plate, followed by a few spoonfuls of farro. Top with sliced duck, then finish with shaved apple, microgreens, and Maldon salt.
Serves 6.
Tip
This looks like a very fancy dish when plated individually, but don’t get thrown off, it works well when served family style on a large platter too! Just build it the same way, and garnish with microgreens or fresh parsley.