Crispy Clove and Cumin Duck Breast in Wine Reduction with Beets, Mashed Potatoes and Bacon

by Frou Frou Feliz

This is the rust-rust-rustic recipe. Getting a crispy duck skin on a breast is golden. How one achieves this is easy with some methodology. In this recipe, cumin seeds are crunchy, too, working well with the duck and wine reduction. also the cloves that i stuck in and removed... that accentuated the duck and the clove also tied it in with the beets.

Mashed potatoes work with anything and has a great texture. The bacon added a different kind of crunchy and salty counterpoint to the beets and the hint of spices.

Ingredients:
2 duck breasts or magrets
1 tablespoon bacon fat
1/2 teaspoon whole cumin
10 whole cloves
4 strips of bacon chopped, hardwood smoked expensive brand


Mashed Potato Recipe
4 potatoes
1/3 cup milk
2 tablespoon butter
cracked black pepper
sea salt

4 red beets

Poke holes in skin of duck for fat to render when cooking. This will allow the skin to become crispy. On the stove top, dry roast cumin and whole cloves in heavy pan on medium heat, stirring with a wooden spoon. You should dry roast for only a couple minutes to bring out the aroma and depth of flavor. Be careful not to burn. Pat the meat side of the duck breasts with the cumin. Poke five cloves into each duck breast and let them marinate in the refrigerator for at least two hours, best overnight.

Cooking Duck: In a heavy pan, the best would be cast iron or enameled cast iron. Add bacon fat to pan. Set on low. Put duck in pan skin side down and slow cook for 20 minutes. Do not flip. Please do not flip. Always skin side down. This will make the skin very crunchy and it will cook the duck to medium rare. In the last five minutes of cooking add the chopped bacon strips and cook until golden. Remove duck and place on plate with crunchy skin side up. Set bacon in a bowl.

Pour rendered fat from the pan into a heat resistent holding container. It can be used for other recipes.

Boil the beets with potatoes for 20 minutes or until done. Don't peel the beets or potatoes. Make sure they well scrubbed. Remove. Peel the beets and slice them into medallions. Put potatoes in bowl and mash them with milk, butter, salt and pepper. Adjust seasoning.

In the duck pan, reheat on medium. Add 1/3 cup of port or a Rioja or Shiraz. Reduce. Scrape bits from the pan into the sauce with a wooden spoon. Take this reduction and split it between two dinner plates. Arrange the duck breasts, one on each plate along with mashed potatoes and beets. Sprinkle the bacon on top. Garnish with some baby beet leaves or other greens.