CRISPY DUCK BREASTS ON PARSNIP PURÉE WITH SPICY CHERRY SAUCE

No difficult techniques to master here, but you’ll need to begin with warming your oven to 200°F and sliding your bowls or plates in to warm. Next, make the parsnip puree, and then cook the sauce. When both of those are done, sauté the duck breasts as they take the least time and require the most attention. Either keep the vegetables and sauce covered and warm or heat them again quickly while you cook the duck so that everything is hot at the table. Plating involves spooning a mound of mashed vegetables into the bowl, topping that with the sliced duck, then ladling the piquant cherry sauce over all.

Servings: 2

Author: More Time at the Table

Ingredients

Parsnip Puree:

2 large parsnips trimmed and peeled, diced
1 large baking potato peeled and diced
1 large turnip trimmed, peeled and diced
32 ounces 4 cups low sodium chicken broth
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon salted butter or more to taste
Milk
Kosher salt to taste

Spiced Cherry Glaze:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup diced yellow onions
15- ounce can of tart cherries in water drained
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
1 cup low sodium chicken stock
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoons brandy or Cognac
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 cinnamon stick
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

Duck:

2 boneless duck breasts with skin
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

MAKE THE PARSNIP PUREE: Place the diced vegetables in a 4-quart pot along with the broth and 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, reduce to a good simmer, and cook until very tender—perhaps 20 minutes. Drain and return vegetables to pot. Mash by hand or use a hand held electric mixer, adding butter and just enough milk to make sure the puree is really smooth. Taste first and then season with a pinch of salt if necessary, also adding pepper judiciously as the cherry sauce that will go on top is quite spicy. The clean flavor of the vegetables should shine through here. Cover and keep warm or reheat just before serving. (If you’d like, drain the vegetables over another pot and keep the broth for soup.)
SIMMER THE SAUCE: Heat the oil over medium flame in a deep skillet, add the onions, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes until the onions are taking on color. Add the cherries, a good pinch each salt and pepper, chicken stock, vinegar, brandy, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and hot sauce. Let simmer about 15 minutes, stirring frequently, and mash with a potato masher (or use an immersion blender) until smooth. Set aside until needed, reheating gently, tasting, and adjusting seasonings before serving on top of the duck breasts.
SAUTE THE DUCK BREASTS: Heat a 10-inch nonstick skillet or sauté pan over medium heat until quite hot. Meanwhile, with a sharp knife, score the fat on the duck breasts into a crisscross pattern (don’t cut the meat itself). Season well on both sides with salt and pepper. Place breasts in the hot skillet fat side down and cook until the fat is quite crispy—perhaps 6 or 7 minutes. Pour fat out of the pan and turn the breasts over to cook another 9 or 10 minutes for medium-rare or until breasts are done to your liking, using an instant read thermometer to determine the temperature. Cook the duck breasts to 130 degrees F for rare (55°C) 135 degrees F (57°C) for medium-rare, about 140°F (60°C) for medium, and 155°F (68°F) for well-done. Remove to a cutting board, let rest two minutes, and slice thinly at an angle.
TO SERVE: Divide parsnip puree between two warm shallow bowls or plates and top each with a sliced duck breast. Spoon the cherry sauce over all and serve hot.