Magret de Canard with...Magret de Canard with Sunchoke Velvet and Blackberry-Sauternes Reduction

An exquisite Michelin-star caliber dish featuring perfectly rendered crispy duck breast, a silky sunchoke purée, and a sophisticated sweet-tart Sauternes reduction.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   In a saucepan, combine the peeled sunchokes, milk, heavy cream, and a pinch of salt. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat and cook until the sunchokes are completely fork-tender, about 20 minutes.

2. 02

   Strain the sunchokes, reserving the cooking liquid. Transfer sunchokes to a high-speed blender, add 50g of cold butter, and blend until completely smooth, adding a splash of the cooking liquid as needed to achieve a silky, velvet-like consistency. Pass through a fine chinois, season with white pepper and salt, and keep warm.

3. 03

   Score the duck breast skin in a tight crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Season both sides generously with sea salt.

4. 04

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet. Place over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat. Cook for 12-15 minutes, pouring off the rendered fat periodically, until the skin is golden brown and ultra-crispy.

5. 05

   Flip the duck breasts over and sear the flesh side for 2-3 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 130°F/54°C). Remove from pan, brush the crispy skin with 1 tablespoon of lavender honey, and let rest on a warm plate for 8-10 minutes.

6. 06

   To make the reduction, discard excess fat from the skillet but leave the brown bits. Add the Sauternes, blackberries, remaining 1 tablespoon of honey, and thyme sprigs. Simmer, gently crushing the blackberries, until reduced by half.

7. 07

   Stir in the duck demi-glace and simmer until the sauce thickens to a glossy, coat-the-back-of-a-spoon consistency. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, return to low heat, and whisk in the remaining 25g of cold butter (monter au beurre) off the heat for a glossy finish.

8. 08

   To serve, carve the duck breasts into thick, elegant diagonal slices. Spoon a generous swoosh of sunchoke velvet onto each plate, arrange the duck slices atop, and drizzle with the velvety blackberry-Sauternes reduction. Garnish with micro-greens if desired.