We’re officially in spring, and our recipes are singing songs of fiddlehead ferns, asparagus, artichokes and fresh peas. When asked what he’s turning to this season, ICE Director of ¹ú²ú¸£Àû Affairs, Hervé Malivert, looks to his duo of duck, a composed dish including both duck leg and breast, delicately sautéed mushrooms, smoked pea purée and confit quail egg yolk.
It's the reason for the season — here's how to make it at home.
Recipe
Duo of Duck with Mushroom Fricassée, Smoked Pea Purée & Confit Quail Egg Yolk
Yield: 4 portions
Ingredients
For the Duck:
- 1 whole Peking duck, quartered, legs deboned keeping skin intact and bones reserved
- 150 grams kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 2 grams ground black pepper
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 4 sprigs thyme
For the Mushroom Fricassée:
- 1 pound maitake mushrooms, sliced
- 100 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 bunch thyme
- 10 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
For the Pea Purée:
- 500 grams peas, shelled
- 130 grams shallots, peeled and sliced
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 30 milliliters rice vinegar
- 200 milliliters chicken stock
For the Pearl Onion:
- 6 pearl onions, peeled and cut in half lengthwise
- 25 milliliters extra-virgin olive oil
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed and peeled
- 4 sprigs thyme
- 50 milliliters white wine
- Salt & freshly ground black pepper
For Assembly:
- 4 quail eggs
- Roasted corn
- Microgreens
Directions
For the Duck:
- Mix together the salt, pepper, bay leaves, thyme and garlic. Pack the duck legs in the salt mixture, covering them completely, and refrigerate to cure for 6 hours.
- Remove the legs from the salt mixture, rinse under cold water to remove the salt, and pat dry the leg with a paper towel.
- Place the leg in the bag with 100 grams of duck fat and vacuum-seal.
- Cook the duck leg at 68°C (155°F) for 15 hours.
- Let the duck leg sit at room temperature for 10 minutes, then transfer to a bowl on ice to completely chill. (This makes it easier to portion.)
- Remove the duck from the bag and portion out into four square pieces.
- Preheat a cast iron pan and sear the duck leg on the skin slowly, rendering the fat, until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate skin-side up.
- Season the duck breast with salt and pepper, and sauté it skin-side down over low heat for 15 minutes, or until the fat has rendered and the skin is nicely browned, degreasing often.
- Increase the heat to medium-high, turn the breast over, and sear the flesh side for 3-4 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove the breast from the pan and set aside to rest.
For the Onion:
- Preheat the oven to 350ËšF.
- Toss the onions with garlic, thyme, white wine, salt and pepper.
- Place in aluminum foil and bake in a water bath for an hour or until onion is cooked through.
- Heat oil in a cast iron pan to medium-high. Char onions cut-side down. Reserve.
For the Smoked Pea Purée:
- Steam or cook the peas a l’anglaise.
- Sweat shallots in oil until slightly golden brown. Deglaze with the rice vinegar and chicken stock and cook for 5 minutes.
- Strain the stock and add the peas and shallot mixture to a Vita-Prep®. While blending on high speed, gradually add the strained stock until desired consistency. Season to taste.
For the Mushroom Fricassée:
- Preheat convection oven to 350ËšF.
- Combine the mushrooms with oil and pepper in a bowl (no salt).
- Lay the thyme and garlic out on a roasting pan. Layer mushrooms over on top and roast until slightly crisp but not dry.
- Remove from the roasting pan without the thyme and garlic; taste for seasoning.
For the Garnish:
- Cook the whole quail egg using an immersion circulator at 66°C for 30 minutes.
- Remove the shell and save the egg yolks.
- Keep the egg yolks in warm extra-virgin olive oil and season with salt and cayenne.
- Place two quenelles of smoked pea purée on a plate. Add duo of duck breast and leg, roasted corn kernels, pearl onions, mushrooms, egg yolk and microgreens. Serve immediately.