Canard aux Figues et...Canard aux Figues et Purée de Topinambours

Pan-seared duck breast with crispy cross-hatched skin, served alongside a velvety sunchoke purée and a rich, glossy fig and ruby port wine gastrique.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Place the peeled and chopped sunchokes in a saucepan, cover with salted water, and simmer over medium heat until completely tender, about 15-20 minutes. Drain well.

2. 02

   Transfer the warm sunchokes to a high-speed blender. Add the heavy cream, 30g of unsalted butter, and a pinch of salt. Blend on high until silky smooth and aerated. Transfer to a container and keep warm.

3. 03

   Score the skin of the duck breasts in a tight diamond pattern using a very sharp knife, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Season both sides generously with fleur de sel and freshly cracked black pepper.

4. 04

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low. This allows the fat to render slowly, ensuring a crispy skin. Cook for 8-10 minutes, pouring off the rendered fat into a bowl periodically.

5. 05

   Flip the breasts once the skin is deeply golden and crispy. Sear the flesh side for 2-3 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 54°C/130°F). Transfer to a warm plate and rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

6. 06

   In the same skillet, discard all but 1 tablespoon of duck fat. Add the minced shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes until translucent. Stir in the honey and let it caramelize slightly for 1 minute.

7. 07

   Deglaze the pan with the red wine vinegar, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom. Pour in the Port wine, duck stock, and thyme sprigs. Simmer until the liquid has reduced by half and thickened to a syrup consistency.

8. 08

   Gently fold the quartered figs into the gastrique, simmering for 2 minutes until just softened. Remove from heat, discard the thyme sprigs, and whisk in the remaining 20g of cold butter to emulsify into a glossy sauce.

9. 09

   To serve, slice the rested duck breasts on a bias. Spoon a generous swoosh of sunchoke purée onto warm plates. Arrange the sliced duck alongside, spooning the warm fig and Port gastrique over the meat. Garnish with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.