Canard aux Cerises et...Canard aux Cerises et Purée de Panais

Perfectly pan-seared duck breast with crispy, cross-hatched skin, served alongside a silky parsnip purée and a rich, glossy cherry-port reduction.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the parsnip purée: In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped parsnips, heavy cream, and enough water to just cover the parsnips. Add a pinch of salt and simmer over medium heat for 15-20 minutes until completely tender.

2. 02

   Blend the purée: Transfer the parsnips and liquid to a high-speed blender. Add 30g of cold unsalted butter and blend until perfectly smooth, velvety, and glossed. Season with salt and white pepper, then keep warm.

3. 03

   Prep the duck: Score the skin of the duck breasts in a tight cross-hatch pattern, taking care not to cut into the flesh. Season generously with fleur de sel and black pepper on both sides.

4. 04

   Render and sear: Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet over medium-low heat. Cook for 8-10 minutes, rendering the fat slowly, until the skin is deeply golden and extremely crispy. Pour off excess duck fat periodically to keep skin crisping.

5. 05

   Finish the cook: Flip the duck breasts and cook for an additional 3-4 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 54°C/130°F). Transfer to a warm plate and let rest for 10 minutes.

6. 06

   De-glaze: In the same skillet with 1 tablespoon of duck fat remaining, sauté the minced shallot over medium heat for 2 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the port wine, scraping up all the caramelized bits from the bottom.

7. 07

   Simmer the sauce: Add the cherries, duck stock, thyme, and star anise. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half and thickened to a syrup-like consistency (about 6-8 minutes). Remove the thyme and star anise, then whisk in the remaining 20g of cold butter off the heat to emulsify.

8. 08

   Assemble and serve: Slice the rested duck breasts on a bias. Spoon a generous base of warm parsnip purée onto the center of each plate. Arrange the sliced duck on top, and spoon the rich cherry-port reduction over and around the duck.