Ta Daaaa – Our First Recipe
When we first started this blog we weren’t sure if we were going to share our recipes with the world. Talk about work! Plus I am that cook that doesn’t measure, I eyeball it… everything. So how was I going to share all these goodies with you if I can’t even be bothered to measure things out? Well after talking to a fellow blogger she mentioned that I have been cooking for so long that I know those measurements in my head. All I need to do is translate them for you. And *poof* here we are!
Here is the menu for the night:
- Seared Duck Breast w/ Cherry Sauce
- Roasted Asparagus with prosciutto
- Sauteed purple potato and mushrooms
Let’s talk duck!
Growing up I didn’t even know this was a thing that you ate. It was the swimming birds at the park to me, not a tasty morsel! We were a beef and pork family, maybe chicken on a rare occasion. But duck, nope, not a thing.
Skip to today and duck is definitely a thing! Like a big THING. We are lucky enough to have a local restaurant down the street from my house that does 2 different styles of duck – a Peking and a Hong Kong style. Talk about delicious but it was the only place we could get duck locally. The grocery store didn’t even have it. Until …..
Last week. Strolling through the freezer section at the grocery store the BF stopped to look at some Cornish hens. I just stood there dreaming of what I would make with those little babies. Orange marmalade glazed….
Anyways, as I am standing and staring at the cornish hens I spot a package nestled in with the hens. This seemingly random package turned out to be a single serving of one duck breast. What the what????? Then I notice another, and another, and another. Shut up, its the motherload of duck breast. Dreams do come true. We snatched up the two best ones and rushed to the checkout like giddy teenager’s.
I could not wait to make these duck breast and share them with you as well as some sides so that you have a complete menu. Check out the recipe below and let us know how it came out if you make it.
PS…. Pay no attention to my messy cutting board in these pictures or all the mismatched plates. Let’s just call it eclectic.
Servings:
4
Prep Time
20 minutes
Cook Time
25 minutes
Duck
4 duck breasts
2 tbs olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp Chinese 5 spice
Preparation
Add oil to a heavy bottom pan and heat to medium-high. I recommend a cast iron pan. Place duck skin side up and with a sharp knife gently score just the skin. try not to slice into the meat.
Mix the salt, pepper and Chinese 5 spice in a bowl to combine and liberally sprinkle over duck breasts.
Add to hot pan skin side down and render the fat out of the skin till deeply golden brown. Once rendered flip to the other side and continue to cook. Cook till 135 for a medium rare piece. Remove from pan and rest for 10 minutes.
Sweet & Spicy Cherry Sauce
1 cup of dried cherries
1/2 cup apricot preserves
1/2 cup cherry preserves
1/2 tsp sambal – or to taste
1 cup of water
Preparation
Add water and cherries to a small saucepan and simmer on low heat to reconstitute dried cherry’s. Once cherries are plump add all other ingredients and simmer till reduced by half and thickened up. If it is a bit too watery add additional preserve and adjust spice level.
Asparagus wrapped in prosciutto
20 asparagus stalks
2 slices of prosciutto
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
zest of one lemon and half the lemon
olive oil
1/4 tsp pepper
Preparation
Slice off the bottom half of asparagus to remove woody end.
Remove the fat layer from prosciutto and slice in half lengthways.
Divide asparagus into 4 bundles – 5 stalks ea. and wrap each with the half-slice or prosciutto.
Place on a baking sheet and drizzle with oil. Roast at 350 for 20 or till done. Check halfway through and rotate pan.
When finished squeeze lemon over asparagus, sprinkle with zest and parmesan. Add pepper.
Duck Fat Sauteed Potatoes and Mushrooms
2 large purple potatoes
1 1/2 cups mushrooms – I like crimini’s
rendered duck fat
salt
pepper
Preparation
Scrub potatoes to ensure they are clean. poke 2 holes in the top and cook in microwave for 4 minutes to par bake. Let cool.
Clean mushrooms and cut into quarters.
Cut potatoes into 1-inch chunks.
When the duck is finished and removed from the pan to rest place potato and mushroom into the pan to sautee in rendered duck fat. Season with salt and pepper to tast.
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