- 4
Ingredients
- 4 SERVINGS
- Breast of Pekin Duck With Creamy Polenta, Olives, Raisins, and Dried Tomatoes
- The polenta is irresistibly creamy, while rosemary-infused Chianti is reduced to a lush sauce. Serve with sautéed Swiss chard and a Chianti wine.
- • 2 whole Pekin duck breasts, excess fat removed, skin and fat scored diagonally scored into small squares
- • Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- • 4 to 5 tablespoons olive oil
- • 2 1/2 cups low-fat milk
- • 1/2 cup polenta
- • 1/4 cup grated imported Parmesan cheese
- • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter
- • 1/3 cup golden raisins
- • 1 tablespoon tawny port
- • 4 white onions, about 11/2 inches in diameter
- • 4 cloves garlic
- • 1 1/2 cups Chianti wine
- • 1 1/2 cups duck & veal demi-glace
- • 2 large sprigs rosemary + small sprigs rosemary, to garnish
- • 1 small eggplant (about 3/4 pound) peeled and cut into 1/2-inch dice Zest of 1 orange, minced
- • 1/2 cup pitted and sliced imported green olives
- • 1/3 cup julienned oven-dried or sundried tomatoes (not in oil)
Preparation
Step 1
1. Season both sides of duck with salt and pepper. Pour about 1 tablespoon of the olive oil into a large skillet, and heat over medium heat until hot. Place duck breasts, skin side down, in pan and cook until fat is rendered, 8 to 9 minutes. Set aside until ready to serve. Duck may be prepared a couple of hours ahead to this point.
2. Pour milk into a heavy saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Add polenta in a slow stream, stirring continuously to avoid lumps. Continue cooking and stirring until smooth and soft, about 20 minutes. Stir in Parmesan cheese and 2 tablespoons of the butter, season with salt and pepper to taste, cover, and keep warm.
3. Combine raisins with port in a small bowl and set aside. (If raisins are very dry, heat mixture briefly in a microwave oven or over medium-low heat to soften.)
4. Preheat oven to 350° F.
5. Slice ends from onions. Toss onions and garlic cloves with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small skillet or pan, and bake until tender and lightly browned, turning occasionally, about 10 to 15 minutes. Watch that garlic doesn’t burn.
6. Remove garlic and combine with Chianti, demi-glace, and rosemary in a non-reactive saucepan. Bring to a gentle boil and reduce by two-thirds to sauce consistency. Strain into a clean pan, season to taste, and keep warm. Before serving, whisk in remaining tablespoon of butter.
7. Finish duck breasts in 350° F. oven until medium-rare, 5 to 10 minutes, depending on how cool they are before placing in oven. Remove and let stand for at least 5 minutes.
8. Meanwhile, season eggplant with salt and pepper, and toss with another tablespoon or 2 of the olive oil. Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add eggplant, and cook until lightly brown on all sides, and just cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes, turning often. Add orange zest, raisins and port, olives, tomatoes, and onions, and heat over medium-low heat until just warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.
9. To serve: spoon about ½ cup of the polenta at about 10 o’clock on 4 warm dinner plates. Just to the right, place a dollop of Swiss chard, if serving, and a glazed onion at 2 o’clock. Cut duck breasts into 2 cutlets, then crosswise into thin slices.
10. Fan 1 breast across the front of each plates. Top with olive-raisin-tomato mixture at top of fan, and ladle on sauce. Add a rosemary sprig before serving.