I wanted to pair my duck breasts with stone fruits originally and none were in season at the moment, but grapes were available. After making this dish, I've decided that duck and grapes are best friend and am not sure why it's not a more popular and common flavour combination. The sweetness of the grapes complimented the duck perfectly well in the sauce and as a fresh element on its own. I can almost imagine myself sitting in a nice winery somewhere enjoying it with a lovely glass of wine.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Time: 1 hour
Serves: 2
Ingredients
Duck Breast
- 2 duck breasts*
- salt
- pepper
Pickled Watermelon Radish
-1 medium watermelon radish sliced finely with mandolin
- 1/2 cup verjus
- salt
Grape Glaze
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 shallot finely diced
- 1 garlic clove minced
- 2 cups red seedless grapes
- 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 2 tbsp honey
- 1 cup duck stock** or chicken stock
- salt
- pepper
Garnish
- 1 cup fresh red seedless grapes, some sliced and some skin peeled
- fennel frond
* For best results, prick the skin thoroughly with a metal skewer. Dry it very well with kitchen paper towel, season the flesh with salt and pepper and the skin generously with salt. Leave it to dry in the fridge uncovered for at least 4 hours or overnight.
** I made a large batch of duck stock which I then divided up in bags and kept in my freezer. They were the best thing ever. Recipe for the duck stock can be found in this post.
Method
1. Place the watermelon radish and verjus in a bowl, season with salt and mix well. Leave it to marinade and mixing it every now and then making sure that they are evenly marinated.
2. Heat up some oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add shallots and garlic, cook until they are soft and fragrant.
3. Add grapes, vinegar, honey, stock and pepper. Reduce the heat and cook the mixture until the grapes burst open and begin to thicken the glaze to about 1/2 cup of liquid.Remove from the heat and pass the glaze through a mesh strainer. Adjust seasoning, keep warm and set aside.
4. Preheat the oven to 100 degrees. Heat up some oil over high heat in a thick oven safe cast iron pan until it started to smoke, sear the duck breasts skin side down in the hot pan for a few minutes until the skin is golden and fat under the skin well rendered. Flip the duck breasts so the skin side is facing up. Insert a temperature probe into one of the breast and place it in the oven until the internal temperature reaches 58 degrees. Take it out and let it rest.
5. To assemble, slice the duck to the right size. Place some grapes on the plate, top with duck breast, watermelon radish and garnish with fennel frond. Serve with the grape glaze.
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