Five-Spice Duck Breast with...Five-Spice Duck Breast with Kabocha Miso Purée and Pickled Shimeji

An exquisite Michelin-star caliber dish featuring perfectly rendered, crispy five-spice duck breast paired with a velvety, savory-sweet kabocha squash purée, balanced by bright pickled shimeji mushrooms and a rich plum-Shaoxing reduction.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   To make the pickled mushrooms, combine rice vinegar, caster sugar, and the ginger slice in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil until sugar dissolves. Pour the hot liquid over the shimeji mushrooms in a sterile jar, submerge completely, and set aside to steep.

2. 02

   Steam the diced kabocha squash over high heat for 12-15 minutes until completely tender. Transfer to a high-speed blender while hot; add the unsalted butter, heavy cream, and white miso paste. Blend on high until ultra-silky and smooth. Season to taste with a pinch of salt, pass through a fine-mesh sieve, and keep warm.

3. 03

   Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breasts in a tight crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Season both sides generously with sea salt and rub the Chinese five-spice powder solely onto the flesh side.

4. 04

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry, heavy-bottomed pan. Place over medium-low heat. Slowly render the duck fat for 8-10 minutes, pouring off excess fat continuously, until the skin is deeply golden and shatteringly crisp.

5. 05

   Flip the duck breasts and cook on the flesh side for 2-3 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 54°C/130°F). Remove from the pan and let rest on a warm board for 10 minutes before slicing.

6. 06

   Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of duck fat from the pan. Add the chopped plums, Shaoxing wine, light soy sauce, honey, and star anise. Simmer over medium heat for 6-8 minutes until the plums break down and the sauce thickens into a glossy glaze. Strain through a chinois (fine-mesh strainer), discarding solids.

7. 07

   To serve, spoon a generous swipe of the warm Kabocha Miso Purée across each plate. Slice the duck breasts beautifully at an angle and arrange over the purée. Drizzle the warm plum reduction around the plate, garnish elegantly with the drained pickled shimeji mushrooms, and finish with microgreens or micro-coriander.