Magret Of Duck With Fig And Shallot Compote Recipes

Steps:

• For the duck breasts: Sprinkle each duck breast liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the duck skin-side down and reduce the heat to low, cooking as the fat slowly renders and the skin becomes crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Once the skin is crispy and golden brown, flip and continue cooking until a thermometer reads 128 to 130 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast (for medium-rare doneness), 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and allow to rest about 5 minutes. It will carryover cook to about 135 degrees F. Don't tent with foil in order to ensure the duck skin will stay crispy.
• For the fig sauce: Pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet, reserving the excess for another use. Over medium heat, add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the sherry and reduce by half. Next, add the chicken broth, fig jam and balsamic vinegar, and continue simmering until the sauce has thickened and is syrupy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter. Garnish with chopped chives.
• Serve the sauce alongside thinly sliced duck breast.

Steps:

• Place the duck legs in a shallow roasting pan, generously sprinkle with salt mixture (recipe follows) and pour over enough duck fat to cover. Cook in a preheated 275 degree oven for about 2/12 hours or until the meat is fork tender. Remove the legs from the fat to cool. Strain the fat and save for other uses (it will last a couple of weeks in the refrigerator).
• Slice the Italian bread into 1/2-inch thick slices. Sprinkle with some extra-virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. Toast in a 300 degree oven until golden.
• Put all of the ingredients except the mascarpone cheese in a heavy-bottom saucepan over low heat and cook until most of the liquid is evaporated. Stir occasionally. Season to taste with salt and pepper
• To serve, place fig chutney on a slice of the toasted Italian bread and top with a dollop of the mascarpone cheese. Serve the duck on the side. Or you might remove the bone from the leg, trying to keep the meat intact and serve it on top of the chutney. The duck legs will remain crisp if you prepare them the same day you will be serving them and keep them at room temperature for up to 3 hours.

Steps:

• For the duck:
• Score the top of the duck breast in a criss-cross pattern. Mix the garam masala, five spice powder, and salt in a bowl and liberally season the duck on both sides.
• Heat a saute pan on high heat. Char the grapes until they almost split open, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add the Zinfandel and reduce the juices into a syrup on medium heat, about 15 minutes. Add the demi-glace. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a large saute pan over medium high heat, cook the duck, fat side down, with no oil, until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the breast over and brown again, about 5 minutes. The duck should be served rare to medium rare, but if you desire more cooking, bake it in a 350 degree F oven until desired doneness, for medium about 15 minutes.
• Remove from heat and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing on the bias. Spoon sauce over the duck prior to service.
• For the Spaetzle:
• In an electric mixer, add the flour, salt, pepper and nutmeg. On slow speed, drop 1 egg at a time, until the mixture is smooth, then add the yolks. Add the milk and the melted butter. Let the mixture relax for at least a half an hour.
• Over boiling water, squeeze the batter through a spaetzle press, once it floats, spoon it out into a cold water bath to stop the cooking process. When ready to serve, saute in butter and season with more salt and pepper, if needed.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 200 degrees. Trim a tablespoon of fat from edges of each breast, and set aside. With a sharp knife score skin of each breast in a crisscross pattern. Rub flesh side of each with 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder, and season with salt and pepper.
• Place a heavy skillet, preferably cast iron, over medium-high heat. Place breasts skin side down in skillet, and sear a few minutes, until skin is nicely browned. Place breasts in a baking dish skin side up. Place in oven for 1 hour.
• Meanwhile, melt reserved fat in a saucepan over medium heat. Add shallots, and cook until soft. Add quince slices, remaining five-spice powder and the sugar; cook, stirring, a few minutes, until quince starts to color. Add stock, bring to a simmer and remove 1/2 cup stock to a dish. Add wine to saucepan, cover and cook about 15 minutes, until quince is tender. Whisk hoisin sauce into reserved stock. When quince is tender, stir in hoisin mixture. Simmer 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, and set aside.
• Remove breasts from oven, and slice on bias. Pour any juices into pan with quince. Arrange duck on a platter. Reheat quince mixture, and spoon around duck. Serve.

Steps:

• Combine five-spice powder and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Stir in soy sauce. Score fat on duck in crisscross. Rub duck on both sides with marinade. Set aside 2 hours.
• Heat a grill to very hot. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Sear duck on fat side about a minute, until dark brown (flare-ups are normal). Turn and sear on flesh side about 1 1/2 minutes, until browned. Or sear duck over high heat in a cast-iron skillet. Place duck in a baking dish in oven.
• Dust figs with pepper; sear on grill 3 to 5 minutes, until starting to sizzle. Remove from grill and halve. Or sear figs in a skillet.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet, add shallots and cook until soft. Stir in thyme and half the wine. Cook until wine just films pan. Stir in stock. Add figs and remaining wine; cook until wine is reduced by a third. Stir in remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
• When duck has baked for 45 minutes, serve it, or reduce heat to 150 degrees and keep in oven up to 30 minutes longer. To serve, slice duck on the bias. Reheat sauce and spoon over duck.