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Dry-Aged Duck Breast with...Dry-Aged Duck Breast with Fermented Chili Gastrique and Szechuan Jus

Name: Dry-Aged Duck Breast with Fermented Chili Gastrique and Szechuan Jus
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 30 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Contemporary French
Ingredients: 2 dry-aged Pekin duck breasts (approx. 200g each), skin cross-hatch scored; 2 tbsp lacto-fermented red Fresno chili mash (or fermented red chili paste); 1/2 fresh habanero chili, seeds removed and brunoised fine; 80 ml freshly squeezed blood orange juice; 30 ml aged Pedro Ximénez or sherry vinegar; 25 g turbinado sugar; 150 ml concentrated unsalted duck or veal glacé; 1 tsp high-grade red Szechuan peppercorns, toasted and lightly cracked; 200 g parsnips, peeled and chopped; 60 g chilled unsalted cultured butter, cubed and divided; 50 ml heavy cream; 4 baby Tokyo turnips, scrubbed, trimmed with small greens attached, halved; Flaky Maldon sea salt to finish; Small cluster of micro red shiso leaves for garnish

🍴

Cuisine

Contemporary French

👥

Servings

⏱

Prep Time

45 mins

🍳

Cook Time

30 mins

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Difficulty

Hard

Crisp-skinned, tender dry-aged duck breast accompanied by a vibrant fermented Fresno-habanero gastrique, silk-smooth parsnip purée, charred Tokyo turnips, and a fragrant, numbing Szechuan peppercorn reduction.

Contemporary FrenchHard

Ingredients

•2 dry-aged Pekin duck breasts (approx. 200g each), skin cross-hatch scored

•2 tbsp lacto-fermented red Fresno chili mash (or fermented red chili paste)

•1/2 fresh habanero chili, seeds removed and brunoised fine

•80 ml freshly squeezed blood orange juice

•30 ml aged Pedro Ximénez or sherry vinegar

•25 g turbinado sugar

•150 ml concentrated unsalted duck or veal glacé

•1 tsp high-grade red Szechuan peppercorns, toasted and lightly cracked

•200 g parsnips, peeled and chopped

•60 g chilled unsalted cultured butter, cubed and divided

•50 ml heavy cream

•4 baby Tokyo turnips, scrubbed, trimmed with small greens attached, halved

•Flaky Maldon sea salt to finish

•Small cluster of micro red shiso leaves for garnish

Cooking Instructions

01
Simmer the chopped parsnips in lightly salted water with heavy cream until tender, about 15 minutes. Drain, reserving cooking liquid, then blend until silky smooth in a high-speed blender with 30g chilled cultured butter. Season with fine salt and keep warm in a piping bag.
02
In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, caramelize the turbinado sugar to a light copper. Deglaze with sherry vinegar and blood orange juice. Whisk in the fermented Fresno chili mash and brunoised habanero. Reduce over medium-low heat until syrupy to form the spicy gastrique; keep warm.
03
In a separate small saucepan, bring the duck stock and toasted cracked Szechuan peppercorns to a gentle simmer. Reduce by half to concentrate the spice and numbing quality. Strain out solids, whisk in 15g cold butter to mount the sauce, and season to taste.
04
Season the scored duck breasts generously with fine sea salt on both sides. Place skin-side down in a cold cast-iron skillet and place over medium-low heat to render fat slowly for 8 to 10 minutes until deeply golden and shatteringly crisp.
05
Pour off excess fat (reserving 1 tbsp in pan), flip breasts to flesh-side down, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until internal temperature hits 54°C (130°F) for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm wire rack to rest for 6 minutes.
06
In the reserved duck fat over high heat, sear the halved Tokyo turnips cut-side down until caramelized and blistered, about 2 minutes; season with salt.
07
Carve each rested duck breast lengthwise into clean slices. Pipe three fluid swooshes of smooth parsnip purée onto heated plates. Artfully arrange the carved duck breast alongside the charred turnips. Dot with the fiery fermented chili gastrique, spoon the fragrant Szechuan jus around, and finish with flaky Maldon salt and micro shiso.

Cooking Reviews

“

The Caprese Salad Skewers recipe was a triumph! I prepared them for a party's barbecue and everyone loved them. The basil was so aromatic, the mozzarella so fresh, and the skewers were the perfect size and an appropriate.

Michael Burns

July 1, 2023