Duck!

On our return from Japan I jetted off to a conference in Chicago, but had a few days to spend with the 'rents before coming back up to Syracuse for the fall semester. While in Cleveland we went down to the West Side market to pick up some pork bellies and also to get some duck breasts so that I could cook a dinner. I poked around the internets and came across a recipe that looked like it would work well, so gave it a try. The meal was a nice team effort.

First course: Cold Summer Squash Soup (the Lovely Mina). This soup was incred

ibly easy to make. We sauteed up some onion and garlic, added some peeled, seeded, and chopped zucchini and yellow squash, and some chicken broth. This boiled down until the squash were tender, then we hit it with the immersion blender and chilled it. We served it with some chives as a garnish.

Side: Barley Couscous with Olives and Cilantro (Mom). A pretty straight fo

rward dish except that we used barley couscous as opposed to regular. I thought this had a deeper, "woodier" flavor than plain couscous.

Side: Roasted Peaches with Balsamic Glaze (Me). Another super easy dish that sounds tougher than it is. The glaze was 2 parts soy sauce to 1 part lime juice (the original recipe was for 1 cup of soy sauce, which seemed excessive to me. I started with 1/4 cup), some grated ginger, a clove of grated garlic, and a few drops of sesame oil. This gets reduced, strained, and chilled. I quartered a couple of fresh peaches and sauteed them in some of the duck fat that rendered from the breasts (next) until they were tender and caramelized. I then spo

oned the glaze over the top of them.

Main Course: Seared Duck Breasts. Incredibly simply preparation, though the first step of leaving the breasts uncovered, skin side up in the refrigerator for several hours is key. I am not sure where I learned this trick (probably Alton Brown), but since the refrigerator is so dry, this helps in leaching some moisture out of the duck skin and aids in the crisping. Just before cooking, I scored the skin of the duck breasts, seasoned them up, and then seared them over medium heat with just a little olive oil. Enough fat renders from the duck that you wouldn't need any oil at all if you were using a non-stick skillet (though, as we know, you can't make a pan sauce in a non-stick skillet!). Anyway, just let the breasts cook away skin side down for 8 minutes or so, checking them periodically to be sure the skin isn't burning. Give them a flip and continue cooking until the internal temp. reached 130-135 degrees. Slice on the bias and serve.

The nice thing about this meal is that you could go red or white on the wine without issue. The peaches would go nicely with a crisp white, while the duck itself would be beautiful with a pinot noir or a zinfandel. A fruity belgian beer would also be an inspired choice, I think.