Pan-Seared Duck Breast with...Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Blackberry-Morita Chili Reduction

Perfectly rendered, crispy-skinned duck breast served over a silky parsnip-vanilla bean purée, balanced by a rich, smoky, and fiery blackberry-Morita chili reduction.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Score the duck breast skin in a tight crosshatch pattern, taking care not to cut into the flesh. Season both sides generously with kosher salt and set aside at room temperature.

2. 02

   Toast the dried Morita chilis in a dry pan over medium heat for 2 minutes until fragrant. Submerge them in boiling water for 10 minutes to rehydrate, then remove the stems, seeds, and finely mince.

3. 03

   Prepare the purée: In a medium saucepan, combine the chopped parsnips, heavy cream, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds and pod. Simmer gently over medium-low heat for 15 minutes until the parsnips are completely tender.

4. 04

   Discard the vanilla pod from the parsnip mixture. Transfer the contents to a high-speed blender and process until velvety smooth. Season with a pinch of kosher salt, strain through a fine-mesh chinois, and keep warm.

5. 05

   Place the seasoned duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet. Place over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat, pouring off excess fat as it accumulates, until the skin is exceptionally crisp and golden brown (about 10-12 minutes).

6. 06

   Flip the duck breasts and cook for an additional 2 to 3 minutes for a perfect medium-rare (internal temperature of 57°C / 135°F). Transfer to a warm plate and let rest for 8 minutes before slicing.

7. 07

   In a clean saucepan, sauté the minced shallot in 1 tablespoon of the rendered duck fat over medium heat until translucent. Add the minced Morita chili and blackberries, crushing the berries gently with the back of a spoon to release their juices.

8. 08

   Deglaze the pan with Chambord, reducing it by half. Pour in the duck stock and simmer until the liquid is reduced to a syrupy consistency. Strain the sauce through a chinois, return to low heat, and whisk in the cold cubed butter one piece at a time to create a glossy emulsion.

9. 09

   To plate, spoon a generous swipe of the vanilla-parsnip purée onto the center of each plate. Slice the duck breasts on a bias and fan them over the purée. Drizzle the spicy blackberry-Morita reduction around and over the duck, and garnish with micro-coriander.