Our Harvest Market Kitchen chefs are offering recipes from their home kitchens. Whether you are a novice cook or seasoned chef, these dishes are simple, satisfying, and can be made in about 30 minutes. Happy cooking!
Roasted Duck Breast and Root Vegetables
From Megan’s Kitchen – Let Megan herself introduce you to this recipe!
I was almost 50 years old before I cooked my first duck breast. My mind was blown with the first bite of this tender steak-like meat, made complete with its little layer of salty crisp skin. How did this amazing dish escape me for so long? Roasted Duck Breast and Root Vegetables is definitely company worthy, yet easy enough to make the list of quick weeknight dinners. This dish could even work for cooking campside! The beauty of this dish is that it is made in a single skillet and renders its own sublime fat for roasting the vegetables. There is virtually no clean up and no waste. Serve with a bit of fruit chutney or jam for a sweet bright contrast to the earthy, rich flavors of this comfort food.
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Prep time: 5 minutes
Cooking time: 30-40 minutes
Total: 35-45 minutes
Serves: 2-3 people
INGREDIENTS:
- D’artagnan Duck Breast (Moulard Magret), 1 piece
- Root Vegetables (any combination of your favorites: potatoes, carrots, beets, onions, rutabaga)
- Salt and Pepper
METHOD:
- Preheat oven to 400 F.
- Remove cold duck breast from package and pat dry with a paper towel.
- Lightly score skin in a hatch mark pattern with a sharp knife, being careful not to cut too deeply. Cuts should just penetrate the surface without reaching the flesh.
- Season both sides with salt and black pepper.
- Put the COLD duck breast, fat side down, into a COLD oven proof skillet, (I like cast iron) and begin heating on Medium/Low heat on the stove top. This process allows the duck fat to slowly render into the pan. It will take about 15 minutes.
- While the fat is rendering, quickly prepare whatever combination of root veggies you like (about 3-4 cups total). Cut them into bite size pieces. If you dislike cutting vegetables, grab a bag of baby carrots and a bag of new potatoes and use them whole.
- By now the duck should be sounding nice and bubbly, surrounded by clear fat and the skin side should be golden brown. Turn the breast over and put it in the oven for an additional 2-6 minutes depending on how you like it. Duck can be cooked like a steak, and served to your liking (If you have a meat thermometer you can temp the meat: 130 F medium-rare, 140 F medium or 155 well done). If you don’t have a thermometer, you can easily check the meat by pressing it with your finger. Meat that is yielding but kind of firm is a perfect medium. Remember that the meat will continue to cook a bit as it rests. (If you accidentally pull it too soon, and wish you had cooked it longer, you can always throw the slices in a pan. But you can’t reverse overcooked meat. So it is better to err on the side of caution rather than to end up with overcooked meat!)
- Set the meat on a cutting board to rest.
- Throw the root vegetables into the hot skillet and coat with the residual duck fat. Add a good pinch of salt and stir to coat with the rendered fat. Add fresh herbs like rosemary or thyme if you like.
- Put the skillet in the hot oven and roast for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until roots are tender and browning. Taste and adjust salt if needed.
- Slice the meat into ¼ inch slices across the grain and serve with a little spot of fruit chutney or fruit preserves.
