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ROASTED MUSCOVY DUCK BREAST * WITH DRIED-CRANBERRY SAUCE *
PUMPKIN PURÉE * & BRUSSELS SPROUTS
PUMPKIN PURÉE *
2 pounds pumpkin or butternut squash
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
pinch, raz el hanout or garam masala, available at specialty stores or see page 000, or ground nutmeg
Preheat oven to 375º F.
Cut the pumpkin or squash in half, scrape out the seeds and place it, cut side down, on a baking sheet. Bake for about 50 minutes or until the pumpkin is soft .
Scoop out the pulp and put it into a blender or a food processor. Season to taste with raz el hanout, garam masala or nutmeg and salt and pepper. Process until smooth.
NORA'S NOTE: You can also peel and chop the pumpkin or squash and steam it in a medium saucepan using a collapsible steamer. I warn you, however, that peeling raw pumpkin isn't easy. I find I can coax my customers into eating different and unusual vegetables if I purée them. For example, even the unpopular beet finds new fans when I purée it with sautéed onions, boiled potatoes, caraway seeds and salt and pepper.
BRUSSELS SPROUTS
1/2 pounds Brussels sprouts
Remove the outer leaves from the Brussels sprouts and make a cross in the base. This step will shorten the cooking time. Steam for 15 to 30 minutes, depending on their size, or until the sprouts are bright green, and cooked through.
DRIED-CRANBERRY-BALSAMIC SAUCE *
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 cups duck stock (page 000 - AUTUMN 1) or chicken or veal stock
or 1 beef or chicken bouillon cube dissolved in 2 cups water
4 roasted shallots
1 1/2 TBSP balsamic vinegar
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Put the shallots in a small non-reactive baking dish. Dress with 1 tsp olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Cover with aluminum foil and roast for 30 to 40 minutes or until soft.
Put the cranberries in a medium saucepan, add 1 1/2 cups of stock and simmer for about 5 minutes or until the cranberries are plumped. Remove 1/4 cup of the plumped cranberries with a slotted spoon and reserve for garnish.
Put the remaining cranberries in a blender with the shallots and vinegar and purée until smooth. Add the remaining stock, if necessary, to thin out the purée until it has a sauce-like consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
NORA'S NOTE: Dried cranberries are sweetened with fruit juices and therefore are much sweeter than fresh cranberries. If you can't find dried cranberries, substitute tart or sweet dried cherries or even dried blueberries.
ROASTED MUSCOVY DUCK BREAST
You can bone the duck the day before you roast it.
4 boneless duck breasts (1/2 pound each)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
pumpkin purée
Brussels sprouts
dried cranberry-balsamic Sauce
reserved plumped cranberries, for garnish
Preheat the oven to 400º F.
Dry the duck breasts with paper towels and season to taste with salt and pepper. Heat a dry sauté pan and put the duck breast, skin-side-down, in the pan to render some of the fat from under the skin and to crisp the skin at the same time. Continue sautéing for about 10 minutes over medium heat. Turn the breasts over and put them in the oven for 10 to 15 minutes or until cooked to the desired doneness; about 10 minutes for medium-rare, 15 minutes for medium.
Remove the breasts from the oven, put them on a platter, cover with foil to keep them warm and allow them to rest for 2 to 3 minutes before slicing.
Assembly: Cut the duck breasts into thin slices. You will need a very sharp knife because the skin will be very crisp. Fan the slices out in a semi-circle on the lower half of each of 4 warm dinner-size plates. Put a big spoonful of pumpkin purée in the top center of the semi-circle. Arrange 3 Brussels sprouts on each side of the fanned breast. Pour the dried-cranberry-balsamic sauce evenly over the sliced duck breast. Sprinkle each plate with some of the reserved plumped cranberries.
NORA'S NOTE: DUCK COOKING LESSON
Cutting up a duck: Rinse the duck and pat dry. Remove the liver and the gizzards. Reserve the liver for pâté and the gizzards for stock. Cut the duck wings off at the first joint or elbow and reserve for stock. Remove the whole leg and thigh section together being careful to include the "oysters" of meat attached to the back and near the tailpiece. Remove the wings also, being careful not to cut into the duck breast meat. Trim off excess fat. Wrap the duck leg and thigh section and wings well in plastic wrap and freeze for another use (page 000 - AUTUMN 1).
Turn the duck onto its back and remove each breast in one piece, scraping along the breast bone and around the wishbone to detach all the meat.
Remove the duck skin from the carcass, reserving about 1/4 cup for making the duck stock and discarding the rest.
Use a cleaver or a large knife to cut up the duck carcass into several large pieces. Set it aside with the reserved wing tips and the gizzards for making the duck stock.
Making Duck Stock:
Reserved duck wings, gizzards and carcass
Reserved duck skin or 1 TBSP canola oil
1/2 carrot, sliced
1/2 rib celery, sliced
1 tsp minced garlic
1 small chili pepper, minced
1-inch piece ginger, peeled and sliced across the grain
1 bay leaf
3 sprigs thyme
1 sprig oregano
1/4 tsp fennel seeds
pinch, cumin seeds
pinch, garam masala
1/4 tsp coriander seeds
1 1/2 cups white wine
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Put the reserved duck skin into a non-reactive stock pot and sauté it until the fat under the skin begins to render and melt.
Sauté the reserved wing tips, gizzards and the cut-up carcass in the rendered fat for about 5 to 8 minutes or until they take on a rich, brown color. Add the carrot, celery, garlic, chili pepper, ginger, bay leaf, thyme, oregano, fennel seeds, cumin seed, garam masala and coriander seeds and sauté for another 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir to deglaze the pot by loosening all the cooked browned juices from the bottom of the pot. Add 6 cups of water, bring to a boil, cover, and reduce the heat. Simmer the stock for about 1 1/2 hours or until flavorful .
Strain the stock and correct for seasoning. Degrease the duck stock, if necessary, by removing the surface fat with a spoon. Use this stock to make the dried-cranberry-balsamic sauce or freeze it for later use as a base for soups or stews.
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