Tamarind Barbecued Duck With Smoky Plantain Crema Recipes

PAN SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH TAMARIND REDUCTION

Steps:

• Heat a Dutch oven. Add the butter; cook the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic for 10 minutes or until caramelized. Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. De-glaze with red wine. Reduce down by half and add duck stock, canela, star anise, and bay leaves. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced by 2/3. At this point, add the thyme and the tamarind paste. Cook for 5 minutes then strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve.
• Heat a saute pan large enough to hold the two duck breasts. Season the duck breast with salt and pepper. Add it to the pan skin side down, and sear for 3 minutes. Place the pan in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the duck is 145 degrees. Place 2 tablespoons of tamarind sauce on a plate. Slice the duck breasts on a bias and put on the plate, on top of the tamarind sauce.

SUGARCANE MARINADE

Steps:

• In a food processor, combine all the ingredients, and pulse until smooth. Refrigerate until needed; this keeps for 1 month.
• Makes about 1 cup.
• This is the marinade we use on the Tamarind Barbecued Duck with Smoky Plantain Crema .
• Combine 1 1/4 cups Sugarcane Marinade with 1/2 cup tamarind pulp in a small pot and heat over medium-low heat, stirring to dissolve the tamarind. When the mixture just begins to simmer, remove from the heat and pass through a coarse strainer. Let cool.

SMOKY PLANTAIN CREMA

Steps:

• Toast the chipotle in a small skillet over medium heat. Remove the stem and seeds.
• Combine the vinegar and toasted chipotle in a small bowl. Set aside to soften.
• In a medium pot, cook the bacon in the olive oil over medium-low heat until beginning to crisp. Turn the heat up to medium, add the poblano, onion, carrot, garlic, and Scotch bonnet, and season with salt and pepper. Cook until the vegetables begin to soften, about 4 minutes.
• Add the annatto seeds and stir. Then add the chipotle-vinegar mixture, the bay leaf, cumin, and 1 teaspoon pepper, and simmer until almost all of the liquid has evaporated, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the orange juice and simmer until only a small amount of liquid remains, 4 to 6 minutes.
• Add the chicken stock and reduce almost to a glaze, about 7 minutes (you'll know it is done when the bubbles start getting bigger). Add the heavy cream and vanilla bean, stir, and simmer for 8 to 10 minutes, until the cream in quite thick. Pass the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer; discard the solids. Reserve.
• In a sauté pan, heat the canola oil. Add the plantain, season with salt and pepper, and cook over medium heat, turning occasionally, until dark golden brown on all sides. Transfer to a paper towel to drain.
• In a blender, puree the plantain with the strained liquid. If any lumps of plantain remain, strain one more time. Refrigerate until needed; this will keep for 4 or 5 days.

BARBECUED PLANTAINS

Steps:

• Peel the plantains and cut them crossways into slices 2.5cm thick. Lay each plantain on a large sheet of foil, keeping the slices together so they stay in their original shape.
• Smear each plaintain with the butter (or dot it over if it's hard) and sprinkle with the sugar. Make a gondola shape round each plantain with the foil, then pour over the orange juice and grind salt and pepper on top. Wrap the foil completely round the plantains so they're securely sealed inside. (You can prepare to this stage up to 24 hours ahead.)
• Put the foil parcels on the barbecue rack and cook for 30 minutes until the plantains are softened (to check if they're ready, open a parcel and test with the point of a knife).