Canard aux Cerises et...Canard aux Cerises et Purée de Panais à la Vanille

Pan-seared duck breast with a crispy, cross-hatched skin, served alongside a velvety parsnip and Madagascar vanilla bean purée, finished with a luscious, tart-sweet cherry and ruby Port gastrique.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Combine the chopped parsnips, heavy cream, whole milk, and both the scraped vanilla seeds and pod in a medium saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat, cover, and cook for 20 minutes until the parsnips are completely tender.

2. 02

   Discard the vanilla pod. Transfer the tender parsnips and simmering liquid into a high-speed blender. Blend on high until completely smooth, then gradually feed in 50g of cold cubed butter to emulsify. Season with salt to taste, pass through a fine-mesh chinois for an ultra-silky texture, and keep warm.

3. 03

   Score the fat of the duck breasts in a tight cross-hatch pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Season both sides generously with Fleur de sel and cracked black pepper. Let the duck rest at room temperature for 10 minutes.

4. 04

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet over medium-low heat. Render the fat slowly for 10-12 minutes, pouring off excess fat from the pan periodically, until the skin is deeply golden and crispy. Flip and cook the flesh side for 3-4 minutes (for medium-rare, 54°C/130°F). Transfer to a warm plate and rest for 8 minutes.

5. 05

   In a clean saucepan, melt the sugar with 1 tablespoon of water over medium-high heat until it caramelizes to a deep amber. Immediately deglaze with the red wine vinegar, stirring until the caramel dissolves. Add the ruby Port and reduce by half.

6. 06

   Pour in the duck stock, halved cherries, and the thyme sprig. Simmer for 5-6 minutes until the sauce reduces to a glossy, syrup-like glaze that coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat, discard the thyme, and whisk in the remaining 15g of cold butter (monter au beurre) to finish.

7. 07

   To serve, slice the rested duck breasts at a slight angle. Spoon a generous sweep of the warm parsnip-vanilla purée onto the center of each plate, arrange the duck slices over the purée, and spoon the warm cherry-Port gastrique elegantly around and over the meat.