Pan-Seared Duck Breast with...Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Pipián Verde and Smoked Swiss Chard

An elevated Mexican classic featuring duck breast with crisp skin, served over a velvet toasted-pumpkin seed pipián verde, accompanied by smoked chard puree and pickled radishes.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Quick-pickle the watermelon radish by combining white wine vinegar, 1/2 cup water, a pinch of sugar, and salt in a small bowl; submerge radish slices and set aside for 30 minutes.

2. 02

   Toast the pepitas in a dry skillet over medium heat until puffed and fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a high-powered blender.

3. 03

   Char the poblanos, serrano, and tomatillos under a broiler until blackened in spots. Peel and seed the poblanos.

4. 04

   Add charred poblanos, serrano, tomatillos, cilantro, epazote, and 1 cup of warm chicken stock to the blender with toasted pepitas. Blend on high until completely silky smooth.

5. 05

   Pour the pipián mixture into a medium saucepan with a splash of duck fat or oil. Simmer gently over low heat for 15 minutes, adding remaining stock as needed to reach a velvet sauce consistency. Season with kosher salt.

6. 06

   Blanch the Swiss chard in boiling salted water for 1 minute, shock in ice water, squeeze out excess moisture, and blend until smooth with a hint of smoked sea salt.

7. 07

   Score the skin of the duck breasts in a fine cross-hatch pattern. Season generously with salt.

8. 08

   Place duck breasts skin-side down in a cold cast-iron skillet. Turn heat to medium-low and slowly render the fat for 10-12 minutes until skin is golden and crispy.

9. 09

   Flip the duck breasts and sear for another 2-3 minutes until internal temperature reaches 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare. Rest on a cutting board for 8 minutes.

10. 10

    Slice duck breast against the grain. Mirror each plate with warm Pipián Verde, place sliced duck atop, dot with smoked chard puree, and garnish with pickled radish ribbons and fresh cilantro microgreens.