Seared Duck Breast and Duck Fat Cooked Potatoes Fondant with a Balsamic, Pinot Noir, and Plum Reduction.

By Araceli Barrera

Reduction Ingredients:

1 Tbs Olive Oil

3 ripe Plums cut into pieces

1 Shallot, minced

1 Clove of Garlic, minced

Fresh Thyme

1/3 c Brown Sugar

1 Tbs Balsamic Vinegar of Modena

1 c Pinot Noir

1 c Chicken Stock 

1 Tbs Duck and Veal Demi-Glace

Salt and Pepper to taste

Potatoes Fondant Ingredients:

3 Russet Potatoes

Duck Fat  

4 Cloves of Garlic, mashed 

Thyme Sprigs

3 Tbs Butter

1 1/2 c Chicken Stock

Other Ingredients:

Duck Breast

Salt and Pepper

Spinach and Arugula, sauteed with olive oil, salt and pepper

Instructions:

-Reduction: In a pot over med-high add the oil, Plums, Shallot, Garlic, and Thyme and stir for a minute. Add the Sugar and continue to cook until plums have softened. Add the Wine and Balsamic and cook until reduced for about 10 mins. Turn low to a simmer then add the Stock and Demi-Glace and continue to cook for another 15 mins. Use a hand blender or place in a blender, then press through a fine-mesh strainer back into the pot. Keep warm or warm up when ready to serve. 

-Potatoes: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Peel Potatoes and cut ends off, you can easily cut by hand into uniform cylinders or use a cookie cutter. Put in cold water to let out some of the starch, for about 20 mins. Drain, then pat dry potatoes and salt and pepper them. In an oven safe pan over med-high add Duck Fat and once it is hot add the potatoes. Brown on one side (keep an eye on them to not burn). Turn over and add Butter, Thyme, and Mashed Garlic. Brown that side and swirl butter so it coats the sides of the potatoes. Then add the Chicken Stock (should not cover potatoes but almost reach the top) and put in the oven for 30 mins. Take out of oven, and keep the Brown Butter Sauce to pour over them when served. 

-Duck: Turn oven down to 400 degrees. Pat dry Duck Breast, then score the fat in a hash mark pattern. Generously salt and pepper breast. In a cast iron add breast to cold pan and bring up heat gradually to a med high (So cook on med low for about 7 mins then on high). You want to render the fat and get a nice golden sear. After you brown the fat side, drain some of the fat and flip breast, and put in the oven to cook for about 6-8 mins for a medium rare. Take out of oven and LET REST for about 10 mins, then slice and serve over sauteed Spinach and Arugula. 

-Presentation: Plate sauteed Spinach and Arugula then the Duck, the Potatoes Fondant with some of their cooking sauce, and drizzle the Reduction over. Have with a glass of the Pinot Noir and Enjoy!!