Pan-Seared Duck Breast with...Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Black Garlic Mole Negro

Name: Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Black Garlic Mole Negro
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Mexican
Ingredients: 4 duck breasts (approx. 200g each), skin-on; 3 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried pasilla chilies, stemmed and seeded; 6 black garlic cloves; 50g high-quality Mexican dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped; 2 tbsp white sesame seeds; 2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 500ml rich chicken stock; 1 medium white onion, chopped; 3 garlic cloves, minced; 1/2 tsp ground Mexican cinnamon (ceylon); 2 very ripe plantains, peeled and sliced; 50g unsalted butter; 60ml heavy cream; 4 heirloom radishes, thinly sliced and pickled; 10g micro cilantro for garnish; Flaky sea salt to taste

🍴

Cuisine

Modern Mexican

👥

Servings

⏱

Prep Time

30 mins

🍳

Cook Time

45 mins

⭐

Difficulty

Hard

A sophisticated, Michelin-caliber interpretation of traditional Mexican flavors featuring perfectly rendered duck breast paired with a rich, complex black garlic mole and a velvety sweet plantain purée.

Modern MexicanHard

Ingredients

•4 duck breasts (approx. 200g each), skin-on

•3 dried ancho chilies, stemmed and seeded

•2 dried pasilla chilies, stemmed and seeded

•6 black garlic cloves

•50g high-quality Mexican dark chocolate (70%), finely chopped

•2 tbsp white sesame seeds

•2 tbsp pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

•500ml rich chicken stock

•1 medium white onion, chopped

•3 garlic cloves, minced

•1/2 tsp ground Mexican cinnamon (ceylon)

•2 very ripe plantains, peeled and sliced

•50g unsalted butter

•60ml heavy cream

•4 heirloom radishes, thinly sliced and pickled

•10g micro cilantro for garnish

•Flaky sea salt to taste

Cooking Instructions

01
Toast the dried ancho and pasilla chilies, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat until highly fragrant. Transfer the chilies to a bowl, pour over warm chicken stock, and let rehydrate for 15 minutes.
02
In the same skillet, sauté the chopped onion and fresh garlic with a splash of oil until soft and deeply caramelized. Transfer to a high-powered blender.
03
Add the rehydrated chilies, black garlic, toasted seeds, cinnamon, and 300ml of the chili-soaking stock to the blender. Process until completely smooth and velvety. Strain through a fine-mesh chinois into a clean saucepan.
04
Bring the mole sauce to a gentle simmer, then whisk in the chopped dark chocolate until fully melted and integrated. Season with sea salt to taste and keep warm on low heat.
05
For the plantain purée, boil the sliced plantains in salted water until tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and blend with unsalted butter and heavy cream until silk-smooth. Season with salt and keep warm.
06
Score the duck breast skin in a tight crosshatch pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Season generously with sea salt. Place skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet.
07
Place the skillet over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat. Cook skin-side down for 8-10 minutes until the skin is exceptionally crispy and golden brown. Pour off excess fat periodically.
08
Flip the duck breasts and sear the meat side for 3-4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 57°C (135°F) for medium-rare. Rest on a warm board for 5 minutes before slicing thinly on the bias.
09
To plate, spoon a generous pool of the Black Garlic Mole onto the base of each plate. Swipe a spoonful of plantain purée alongside. Fan the sliced duck breast over the mole, and garnish elegantly with pickled radishes and micro cilantro.

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