- 4
Ingredients
- 4 SERVINGS
- Molasses-Roasted Muscovy Duck Breast with Cornbread-Venison Sausage Dressing
- • 1/3 cup each buttermilk and mayonnaise
- • 1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
- • 1/2 teaspoon plus 1 tablespoon molasses plus 1 tablespoon, to garnish
- • 1/4 teaspoon each Tabasco and salt
- • Cornbread-Venison Sausage Dressing (recipe follows)
- • 1 tablespoon olive oil, plus a little olive oil to sauté ducks
- • 1 teaspoon each lime juice and chili powder
- • 1/2 teaspoon salt
- • 2 whole boneless Muscovy Hen Breasts, about 2 pounds, excess fat removed, skin and fat scored diagonally into small squares
- • 4 watercress sprigs, to garnish
- • Pecan halves, lightly toasted, to garnish
Preparation
Step 1
1. Combine buttermilk, mayonnaise, lemon juice, the ½ teaspoon of molasses, Tabasco, and ¼ teaspoon salt together in a small bowl. Stir to blend, cover, and refrigerate until needed. Sauce may be prepared a day ahead. Prepare Cornbread-Venison Sausage Dressing.
2. Combine 1 tablespoon molasses, 1 tablespoon olive oil, lime juice, chili powder, and ½ teaspoon salt together in a small bowl and mix well. Brush duck breasts with mixture.
3. Heat remaining olive oil in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add breasts, skin side down, adjust heat to medium low, and slowly sauté skin to render as much fat as possible and to brown the skin well, 5 to 10 minutes. When skin is browned, turn breasts over, raise heat to medium high, and sear flesh side for about 1 minute.
4. Set skillet aside in a warm spot, and allow breasts to rest for 5 minutes, for juices to settle.
5. Divide the whole breasts into individual breast halves, and then cut each half crosswise into thin slices. Spoon a tight mound of Cornbread-Venison Sausage Dressing into the center of each of 4 dinner plates. Shingle duck slices over dressing. Finely drizzle the plates with the remaining tablespoon molasses and the reserved buttermilk dressing. Garnish with watercress sprigs and toasted pecans, and serve.
Ingredients for Cornbread-Venison Sausage Dressing
• 12 tablespoons (1 ½ sticks) unsalted butter, plus butter to grease pan
• 1 cup each all-purpose flour and yellow cornmeal
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 ½ teaspoons each baking powder and salt
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• ½ pound venison or pork sausage, casing removed, broken into small pieces
• 2 serrano chilies, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1 poblano chili, stemmed, seeded, and chopped
• 1 rib celery, chopped
• ½ medium carrot, chopped
• 2 teaspoons dried oregano
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Directions Cornbread-Venison Sausage Dressing
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly grease an 8x8-inch square baking pan.
2. Melt 8 tablespoons (1 stick) of the butter and set aside. Sift flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, and salt together into large bowl .lightly beat egg wit milk in another bowl. Add egg mixture and melted butter to dry ingredients, and mix until just combined. Do not over mix. Scrape into prepared pan and bake until a toothpick inserted into the center of cornbread comes out clean, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven, set pan on a rack, and cool to room temperature. Cornbread may be prepared several days ahead of time. Cover and store in a cool spot.
3. Melt 3 tablespoons of the remaining butter in a skillet, over medium heat. Add onion and sausage, and sauté until onions are translucent, 5 minutes. Add both kinds of chilies, the celery, and carrot, and sauté until tender, 5 to 6 minutes.
4. Break cornbread into small pieces and add to skillet with vegetables, stirring to blend ingredients. Add oregano, salt, pepper, and remaining tablespoon of butter, and stir again. Transfer to a serving dish and keep warm.