Cumin Cilantro Duck Breast With Apricot Jus And Japanese Eggplant Recipes

CHINESE JERK SPICE DUCK BREAST WITH CAULIFLOWER PUREE

Steps:

• For the cranberry compote: Whisk together the sugar, rice vinegar and rum in a bowl, then pour into a saucepan. Add the cranberries and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook until reduced and syrupy and the cranberries are plump, 10 minutes. Cool to room temperature.
• For the cauliflower puree: Bring the cream to a boil in a medium saucepan. Add the cauliflower and bring to a medium simmer. Cook until the cream is reduced by a third and the cauliflower is fork tender, 7 to 10 minutes.
• Transfer the cauliflower and half of the reduced cream to a food processor and process until smooth. Add salt and pepper to taste. If you want a thinner puree, add more cream.
• For the fried Brussels sprouts: Heat the vegetable oil in a deep fryer. Add the Brussels sprouts and fry until light golden brown, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well and toss with salt and pepper to taste.
• For the duck breasts: Prepare a grill for medium-high heat. Whisk together the five-spice powder, cayenne, garlic powder, onion powder, paprika, brown sugar, thyme and 2 tablespoons each salt and pepper.
• Liberally coat the duck breasts on both sides with the spice mixture. Grill skin-side down until crispy and the fat is rendered, 3 to 5 minutes. Flip the breasts and continue cooking to an internal temperature of 140 to 150 degrees F, about another 3 minutes. Let rest for 5 to 7 minutes before slicing into 1/2-inch medallions.
• To serve: Arrange some slices of duck breast atop a smear of cauliflower puree. Top with compote and scatter fried Brussels sprouts around the plate.

CILANTRO-CUMIN DIP

Steps:

• Pour oil into a small saucepan and add cumin seeds. Bring to a simmer over medium-low heat and simmer very gently for 10 minutes. Let cool.
• Put cilantro, vinegars, mustard and cayenne in the bowl of a food processor or in a blender and pulse to combine. With the motor running, drizzle in the cooled cumin oil and seeds until the mixture is emulsified and the color lightens.
• Taste and add salt and sugar as needed. Pulse once more and transfer to a serving bowl. Cover and refrigerate until ready to serve.

CHICKEN ADOBO WITH FILIPINO FRIED RICE AND CHARRED JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• For the chicken: Heat a large, high-sided pan over medium-high heat. Add the black peppercorns and toast for 2 to 3 minutes until fragrant, shaking the pan to evenly distribute. Transfer to a spice grinder and grind. Add 3 tablespoons of the canola oil to the pan and heat over medium-high heat until shimmering. Pat the chicken dry and season liberally with kosher salt. Reduce the heat to medium. Place the chicken into the pan skin-side down and sear without moving the chicken until the skin pulls away from the bottom of the pan and begins to brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Flip the chicken and cook until browned on the other side, another 5 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan. Discard the excess cooking oil and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of canola oil to the pan.
• Add the onions and cook, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 5 minutes. Add the soy sauce, vinegar, palm sugar, garlic, bay leaves, ground black pepper and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the chicken back to the pan. Cover and cook until an instant-read thermometer registers 160 degrees F when inserted into the center of the chicken, 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and allow to rest. Continue to cook the sauce, uncovered, until thickened and reduced, 5 minutes.
• For the charred eggplant: Add the white vinegar, sugar and bay leaf to a small saucepan. Heat over medium high and bring to a simmer for 2 minutes. Stir to dissolve the sugar, then turn off the heat and set aside.
• Preheat a grill pan to high heat. Brush the inside of the Japanese eggplants with olive oil and sprinkle with kosher salt and black pepper. Place the eggplants on the grill pan, flesh-side down, and grill until slightly charred and there are grill marks on the underside, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, then grill another 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer the eggplants to a cutting board and slice on the bias into 2-inch pieces. Add the eggplant to a bowl with the onions and tomatoes. Pour the pickling liquid over the vegetables and toss to combine.
• For the fried rice: Heat the canola oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and swirl the pan to melt. Add the garlic and annatto powder and cook, stirring frequently, until fragrant and the garlic starts to lightly brown, 2 minutes. Add the cooked rice and toss to combine, making sure the rice is fully coated with the garlic and annatto mixture. Cook the rice, stirring occasionally, until it starts to get crispy, 5 minutes.
• To serve, place a chicken leg and thigh onto each plate, spoon the sauce around the chicken and garnish with the sliced scallions. Serve with the fried rice and charred pickled eggplant. Drizzle the eggplant with a little olive oil.

DUCK BREASTS WITH APRICOT SAUCE AND GRILLED FRUIT

Steps:

• Place dried apricots and orange juice in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from heat, cover and let steep about 30 minutes. When cool, place in a blender and purée, adding more orange juice to thin the sauce if necessary. Return sauce to the saucepan and set aside.
• Preheat a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Cut fruit in half and remove pits. Brush cut sides with olive oil and place oil side down on the pan. Grill until fruit loosens easily, about 5 minutes, and turn a quarter turn to make cross-hatching grill marks. Grill until tender, about another 4 minutes. Turn over to rounded side and grill until tender throughout, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place duck breast on a cutting board with meat sides down. Score fat side diagonally (through the fat but not through to the meat) with parallel lines 1/4 inch apart. Turn duck breast around and score it the opposite direction so that the surface is covered with little squares. Sprinkle the fat with the orange zest, salt and pepper and rub the mixture in well. Preheat a deep skillet over medium-low heat and add duck breasts, skin side down. Cook without turning until skin is crispy and golden brown and much of the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Place duck breasts on a baking sheet with meat sides down and bake until medium-rare, about 10 minutes.
• Heat sauce until simmering and pour enough of it over a platter to cover. Pour remaining sauce in a sauce boat. Thinly slice the duck on the bias and arrange the breasts with slices spread out on top of the sauce. Garnish with grilled fruit. Add extra sauce to taste.

DUCK BREASTS WITH APRICOT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For chutney, in a saucepan, combine orange juice and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the apricots, cherries, raisins, ginger, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and cloves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until apricots are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in lemon juice. Let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours., Season both sides of duck with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, saute duck, skin side down, in oil until skin is browned; turn and cook for 1 minute. Set aside 1 tablespoon drippings. , Place duck on a greased rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 350° until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium, a thermometer should read 165°; well-done, 180°), 30-35 minutes. , For orange sauce, saute garlic in reserved drippings for 1 minute. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until reduced by half. In a bowl, combine the cornstarch, orange juice, broth and orange zest until blended. Stir into wine mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add butter and basil; whisk until smooth. Remove skin from duck if desired before slicing. Serve with orange sauce and chutney.,

JAPANESE-STYLE MARINATED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl or storage container, cover, refrigerate several hours or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 180°C.
• Remove duck breasts from marinade, reserve marinade.
• Cook duck breasts skin side down in a large fry pan until skin is browned and crispy and fat is rendered from skin.
• In an oven proof dish pour enough of the reserved marinade, so that the liquid will come about half way up each breast, discard the rest. Place duck breasts flesh side down in marinade and cook in oven for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove duck beasts and allow to rest for 5 minutes, slice thickly.
• If desired which I do. Skim off any excess fat from the surface of liquid, place pan over stove and mix a little water with some cornflour, add this to the marinade and thicken, serve as extra sauce with duck.
• For the Vegetables.
• Combine miso, mirin, sake, sugar, vinegar and soy sauce in a saucepan and heat over a medium heat to dissolve sugar, remove from heat and set to one side.
• Heat some oil in a wok or large frying pan, add all the vegetables and chili except the green onion, stir-fry 4-5 minutes until veg are just tender, you want them to still have a nice crunch.
• Add dressing and onion and stir until heated through.
• To Serve: Place a mound of the veg on a plate and top with sliced duck, drizzle with extra sauce and serve the rest on the side.