Orange Duck Breasts On Braised Chicory Recipes

DUCK BREAST WITH BRAISED BELGIAN ENDIVE, SHAVED CAULIFLOWER AND GREEN PEPPERCORNS

Steps:

• Split and trim the duck breasts to yield 4 individual breasts. Some people remove the "tenders," as there is a small span of unchewable silver skin within, but I just leave them intact and deal with it when eating, like the fat or gristle in any steak or chop. It's just part of the deal.
• Season the duck with salt and pepper generously on both skin and flesh sides, then place breasts skin-side down in an extra-large heavy-bottomed steel pan.
• Set the pan over medium-low heat, and gently cook the duck breasts 20 to 25 minutes, skin-side down the whole time, pouring off the rendering duck fat many times along the way so that the duck does not poach or steam in its own fat. Save all of that duck fat.
• In the meantime, split the endive heads in half lengthwise, and remove any limp outer leaves. Crush the green peppercorns with the flat side of your chef's knife, then mince the crushed peppercorns further, sometimes dragging the mince under the flat side of your knife to make it into a paste, as you might with a clove of garlic.
• When the duck skin is dark golden brown and crisp and most of the white fat has rendered out, turn the breast flesh-side down. Increase heat to medium-high (you want to get a true sear and not a gray "steam"), and sear for 2 to 4 minutes, or until the flesh is golden brown. Remove the duck breasts from the pan, and set them aside in a warm place.
• Add a nice spoonful of the rendered duck fat back into the hot pan, and lay in the endive halves, cut-side down. Cook until you get a dark golden sear on the cut sides of the endive, about 3 minutes. Turn the endives over onto their rounded backs, and add the cauliflower, shallot and peppercorn paste to the pan.
• Add back in another nice spoonful of the rendered duck fat, and stir together as best as you can without disturbing the endive. You can move it to the side and give yourself some room for stirring and cooking the cauliflower. You want to make sure the cauliflower and the shallots have contact with the fond (the fat, salt and pepper that have been left behind from the cooking of the duck breasts) in the pan.
• Add the chicken stock and the sherry or vermouth, and partly cover the pan to simmer the vegetables until soft and cooked, about 4 minutes. The liquid will be absorbed, the high note of the alcohol will burn off and a loose sauce will remain when finished cooking.
• Season the vegetables with salt and pepper as needed, and drizzle some more of the rendered duck fat over the whole deal if that moves you, as it does me.
• Slice the duck breasts across at a slight bias, approximately the thickness of your pinkie, and serve each with endive and cauliflower. Sprinkle a few drops of sherry vinegar over each serving to finish.

DUCK BREAST A L'ORANGE

Steps:

• Place sugar in a medium saucepan and set over medium-high heat. As sugar begins to melt, use a fork to gently stir sugar from edges to center of pan. Continue stirring in this manner until sugar is a deep amber color.
• Remove caramel from heat and carefully stir in vinegar, orange zest and juice, chicken broth, and shallot. Return to medium-high heat and boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to 2/3 cup, 20 to 25 minutes.
• Score fat of duck breasts with the tip of a knife in a crosshatch pattern to form 1-inch diamonds. Season both sides of breasts with salt and pepper. Place breasts, fat side down, in a medium skillet and place over medium-high heat. Cook undisturbed until skin is crisp and golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip and continue cooking to desired doneness, about 8 minutes more for medium-rare (125 degrees). Allow meat to rest 10 minutes before slicing and serving.
• Add orange supremes to sauce and pour over sliced duck just before serving.

CHEF JOHN'S ORANGE DUCK

Steps:

• Score duck skin almost all the way through the skin and fat each way on the diagonal in a crosshatch pattern. Generously season with salt and rub salt into each breast. Let rest, skin-side up, at room temperature, for 15 minutes.
• Whisk chicken broth, orange liqueur, sherry vinegar, orange marmalade, orange zest, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.
• Pat duck breasts dry with paper towels. Re-season skin-side of duck breasts with salt.
• Heat duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium heat for 2 minutes. Place duck in skillet, skin-side down, and cook for 6 minutes. Flip duck breasts and cook until they start to firm and are reddish-pink and juicy in the center, about 4 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read 140 degrees F (60 degrees C). Transfer breasts to a plate to rest. Pour any rendered duck fat into a glass jar.
• Return skillet to medium heat and whisk flour into pan; cook and stir until flour is completely incorporated, about 1 minute. Pour orange mixture into skillet; bring to a boil. Cook until sauce thickens and is reduced, 3 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to low. When orange mixture stops bubbling, add butter; stir until butter is completely melted and incorporated into the sauce, about 1 minute. Season with salt to taste.
• Slice duck breasts across the grain, arrange on a plate, and spoon orange sauce over the top.

ORANGE DUCK BREASTS ON BRAISED CHICORY

Steps:

• With a sharp knife halve the whole duck breasts and score the skin in a 1/4-inch cross-hatch pattern. Put the duck in a large resealable bag. In a bowl whisk together the zest, the orange juice, the soy sauce, the oil, the honey, the vinegar, the red pepper flakes, and the salt, pour the marinade over the duck, and seal the bag. Let the duck marinate, chilled, turning the bag occasionally, for 8 hours or overnight.
• Remove the duck from the marinade, reserving the marinade, pat it dry between paper towels, and season it with salt and pepper. Heat 2 heavy skillets over moderately high heat until they are hot and in each skillet cook 2 duck breast halves, skin sides down, for 5 minutes. Pour off the fat, reduce the heat to moderate, and cook the duck, skin sides down, for 20 minutes more, adjusting the heat if necessary for the skin to turn dark brown but not burn. Pour off the fat, turn the duck breasts, and cook them, covered, over moderate heat for 8 to 10 minutes more, or until a meat thermometer registers 145°F. to 150°F. for medium meat.
• While the duck is cooking in a kettle sauté the garlic in the butter over moderately high heat, stirring, until it begins to turn golden, add the chicory with the water clinging to the leaves, and braise it, covered, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, or until it is just tender. Season the chicory with salt and pepper and keep it warm.
• Transfer the duck to a cutting board and let it stand for 5 minutes. To one of the skillets add the water, deglaze the skillet over moderate heat, scraping up the brown bits, and add the deglazing liquid to the other skillet with the reserved marinade. Bring the liquid to a boil and deglaze the second skillet, scraping up the brown bits. Add any juices that have accumulated on the cutting board and simmer the sauce for 2 minutes, or until it is thickened slightly. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl. Cut the duck across the grain into thin slices, divide the chicory among 8 plates, and arrange the duck on it. Drizzle some sauce around each serving.

DUCK BREAST WITH ORANGE AND CHILES

Steps:

• In a shallow saucepan just large enough to fit all four pieces of the duck breast, combine the olive oil, orange zest, guindilla or ancho pepper, thyme and garlic over medium heat until the temperature of the oil reaches 140 degrees on an instant-read thermometer. Adjust the heat to maintain that temperature.
• Lightly score the skin of the duck breasts in a diamond pattern, and season thoroughly with salt and pepper. Place a skillet over medium-low heat. When the pan is hot, add the duck breasts skin-side down. Allow them to sear, without moving them at all, until they are crispy and golden brown, 5 to 7 minutes.
• Once the skins are golden brown, remove the duck from the pan and place skin-side up in the oil. Cook until firm and medium rare, 7 to 10 minutes. Remove from the pan, let them rest for 5 minutes and slice. Serve with farro salad.