Calabrian Chili-Glazed Duck Breast...Calabrian Chili-Glazed Duck Breast with Parsnip-Vanilla Purée

Pan-roasted duck breast glazed with a fiery Calabrian chili and wild honey reduction, served over a velvety parsnip-vanilla bean purée and finished with a Sichuan peppercorn infused demi-glace.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Score the duck breast skin in a tight cross-hatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Season generously with kosher salt and ground Sichuan peppercorns on both sides.

2. 02

   In a small bowl, whisk together the Calabrian chili paste, wild honey, and aged balsamic vinegar until smooth to create the glaze, then set aside.

3. 03

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet. Heat over medium-low to slowly render the fat for 12-15 minutes, pouring off excess fat, until the skin is deeply golden and crispy.

4. 04

   Simmer parsnips in milk, cream, and the scraped vanilla bean (pod and seeds) for 15 minutes until tender. Discard the pod, blend the mixture on high speed with cold butter until velvety, and season with salt.

5. 05

   Flip the duck breasts and cook for 2 minutes. Brush the crispy skin heavily with the chili glaze, then transfer the skillet to a 180°C (350°F) oven for 3-4 minutes until medium-rare (54°C/130°F internal). Rest for 8 minutes before slicing.

6. 06

   Simmer the veal demi-glace with ginger and star anise in a small saucepan for 5 minutes, then strain through a fine-mesh sieve to create the aromatic jus.

7. 07

   Swipe a large spoonful of the parsnip-vanilla purée across warm plates. Slice the duck breasts and arrange over the purée. Spoon the spiced demi-glace around and serve immediately.