Penne Pasta With Duck Confit Mission Figs Balsamic Vinegar And Star Anise Infused Cream Sauce Recipes

SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH FIG SAUCE

Steps:

• For the duck breasts: Sprinkle each duck breast liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the duck skin-side down and reduce the heat to low, cooking as the fat slowly renders and the skin becomes crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Once the skin is crispy and golden brown, flip and continue cooking until a thermometer reads 128 to 130 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast (for medium-rare doneness), 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and allow to rest about 5 minutes. It will carryover cook to about 135 degrees F. Don't tent with foil in order to ensure the duck skin will stay crispy.
• For the fig sauce: Pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet, reserving the excess for another use. Over medium heat, add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the sherry and reduce by half. Next, add the chicken broth, fig jam and balsamic vinegar, and continue simmering until the sauce has thickened and is syrupy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter. Garnish with chopped chives.
• Serve the sauce alongside thinly sliced duck breast.

PENNE PASTA WITH DUCK CONFIT, MISSION FIGS, BALSAMIC VINEGAR AND STAR ANISE INFUSED CREAM SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350º.
• Fill a 6-quart pot with water and place over high heat. Once the water boils, cook pasta according to package directions. Drain pasta and drizzle with oil and toss gently. This will prevent the pasta from sticking together while you prepare the sauce.
• In another pot, add the cream, star anise and 1 Tbsp. of fresh thyme. Reduce by half and reserve. This can be done in advance.
• Toss the figs with 1 Tbsp. oil and season with salt and pepper. Pour onto baking sheet and roast for 6 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to chill. Once cold, cut the fig halves in half again. This can also be done a day in advance.
• Place a 12-inch sauté pan over medium heat. Add the remaining 2 Tbsp. oil and bacon. Once the bacon has started to turn light brown, add the shallots. Continue stirring until the edges of the shallots start to brown, approximately 2 minutes.
• Add the remaining thyme and the balsamic vinegar. Reduce the vinegar until it coats the bottom of the pan. Add the shredded duck confit, figs and half of the cream. Bring to a simmer and add the pasta and parsley. Stir or flip the pasta with ingredients. You may want to add more cream at this point to gain sauce consistency. Remove pasta from heat. Allow to sit for 1 minute. Give a final seasoning with salt, pepper and a splash of balsamic vinegar. Top with parmesan and serve.

CREAMY GARLIC PENNE PASTA

Steps:

• Melt butter and add garlic in a medium sauce pan.
• Cook over medium for 1 minute.
• Add flour and cook 1 minute, stirring constantly.
• Stir in broth and milk and cook, stirring frequently, until sauce boils and thickens.
• Add parsley, salt, pepper and cheese.
• Stir until cheese is melted.
• Toss hot pasta with sauce and serve immediately.

ROAST DUCK WITH BALSAMIC VINEGAR & HONEY GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 425°F.
• Remove (thawed) duck from bag and rinse under cold water.
• Generously season duck cavity and skin with salt and pepper. Tie legs together with string.
• Roast duck, breast side up, for 20 minutes. Remove duck from oven.
• Rake skin numerous times with a sharp meat fork being careful not to pierce meat; return to oven. Continue to roast for 1 hour and 10 minutes. While roasting, frequently baste duck with juices from bottom of roasting pan.
• While duck is roasting, combine 10 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, honey and pepper in small saucepan. Over high heat, bring to a boil. Boil until mixture starts to thicken. Stir constantly until mixture is very thick and reduced to about 3 tablespoons. Remove from heat; add remaining balsamic and red wine vinegar. Keep warm until duck is cooked. (If glaze cools and becomes too thick, warm over low heat, stirring constantly.).
• When duck is cooked, remove from oven and dry skin with paper towels. Brush duck with a thick coat of warm glaze; place in oven for 1 minute. Remove from oven and serve immediately. Garnish with fresh herbs.

BALSAMIC CHICKEN AND PASTA

Steps:

• Mince garlic cloves in food processor or blender. Add 1/3 of the basil leaves to the processor, and chop until fine. Pour in 1/2 cup of olive oil, and continue to process until mixture turns light yellow with flecks of basil. Add the balsamic vinegar; process just until combined.
• Place the chicken breasts in a large zip-top storage bag along with 1 tablespoon salt, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper, and the contents of the food processor. Squeeze air out of bag and seal. Allow chicken to marinate for 2 hours, or up to overnight, turning occasionally.
• Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C).
• Brown chicken in a large skillet over large heat, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a large baking dish, and place in the oven until cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes. Remove chicken from oven, slice into 1/4 inch strips, and return to baking dish to absorb cooking juices. Keep warm.
• While chicken is baking, bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Boil the pasta until cooked through, but still firm to the bite, about 11 minutes. Drain well. Stir the chicken and the juices from the baking dish into the hot pasta.
• Thinly slice the remaining basil leaves, and place in a large serving bowl along with the tomatoes. Stir in 1/4 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Top basil and tomatoes with the hot pasta, sauce, and chicken; toss to combine.