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Another great holiday ask for it recipe comes from Jackson’s personal and private chef Scott Nechay. He said this recipe originated from leftovers he had one day, and it’s been a favorite holiday dish of his since. The dish is a crispy duck breast accompanied by a potato/celery root gratin, sesame scented baby bok choy and an orange gastrique. Make this recipe farm to table by providing your own duck. Here is Chef Nechay’s favorite holiday dish:
Crispy Duck Breast with Potato/Root Gratin and Sesame Bok Choy
December 23, 2013
Category
Ask For It
Daily Dish
Ingredients
- 4 duck breast, skin scored
- High heat cooking oil (grapeseed or canola)
- 2 large potatoes
- 1 large celery root
- 1/2 cup heavy whipping cream
- 1/2 cup whole milk
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- 2 clove garlic
- 1 large shallot
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 2 cups baby bok choy
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (black & white)
- 2 drops sesame oil
- 1/2 cups rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 cups sugar
- Juice of 6 oranges (blood or sunkist)
- Salt and pepper
Instructions
For the gastrique:
- Add all ingredients to a small sauce pot, bring to boil and reduce to a
- simmer until a syrup is achieved.
- Set aside to cool.
For gratin:
- Pre-heat oven to 350 F.
- In medium saucepan, add in 1/2 the butter, garlic and thyme.
- Cook on low for 5 minutes.
- Peel both potato and celery root and slice on mandoline, approximately 1/4" thick.
- Add potato and celery root to pan with garlic/thyme and cook on low for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Add both milk/heavy cream.
- Cover.
- Cook for another 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are cooked half way through.
- Season with salt/pepper to taste.
- In a buttered baking dish (9x9), add potato/celery root mixture and bake covered in foil for 30-45 minutes.
- Remove foil and cook uncovered for another 15 minutes or until golden brown.
- Set aside a rest until served.
For duck breast:
- With a sharp knife, gently score skin making sure not to cut into flesh of the duck.
- Season with salt/pepper.
- In a large saute pan or skillet, warm up pan on high and add just enough oil to barely cover bottom of pan and until pan begins to smoke.
- Carefully add duck breast skin side down one at a time and cook on high for 2-5 minutes, then turning pan to med/low and continue to cook on skin side down until skin is deep golden brown and crispy.
- Flip over and cook in 350 F oven for 5-7 minutes or until rare/medium rare (118-120 degrees).
- Remove from pan and allow to rest on rack, loosely covered with foil for at least 10 minutes.
For bok choy:
- In a large saute pan or wok, warm pan until very hot, add a small amount of high heat cooking oil then quickly saute bok choy for 1 minute.
- Add toasted sesame seeds and season with salt and pepper.
- Add a few drops of sesame oil.
- Serve immediately.
To assemble:
- Cut gratin into 2x2 squares or use cookie cutter, set on plate.
- Add bok choy to plate aside gratin.
- Slice duck into 3-5 pieces and fan atop/across gratin/bok choy.
- Drizzle gastrique on/around duck.
- Serve.
Posted in Ask For It, Daily Dish
