Canard Poêlé aux Cerises...Canard Poêlé aux Cerises et à la Lavande

A masterfully seared Magret duck breast featuring ultra-crisp skin, served over a silky parsnip-vanilla purée and finished with a sophisticated sweet-tart cherry and fresh lavender gastrique.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Score the duck breast skin in a tight crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Season both sides generously with fleur de sel and set aside at room temperature.

2. 02

   In a small saucepan, combine the chopped parsnips, heavy cream, 25g of butter, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds and pod. Simmer over medium-low heat until the parsnips are completely tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the pod, transfer to a high-speed blender, and purée until velvety smooth. Season with salt and keep warm.

3. 03

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry stainless steel skillet. Place over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat, cooking for 10-12 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and ultra-crisp. Pour off the rendered fat periodically into a heatproof bowl.

4. 04

   Flip the duck breasts and cook the flesh side for 3-4 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 54°C (130°F) for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm plate, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 8 minutes.

5. 05

   In the same skillet, leave 1 tablespoon of duck fat. Sauté the minced shallot over medium heat for 2 minutes until translucent. Add the lavender honey and lavender buds, letting them bubble and caramelize for 1 minute.

6. 06

   Deglaze the pan with red wine vinegar, scraping up all the fond. Reduce the liquid by half, then add the halved cherries and veal stock. Simmer until the sauce reduces to a glossy, syrupy gastrique. Remove from heat and whisk in the remaining 25g of cold butter to emulsify.

7. 07

   Carve the rested duck breasts on a sharp bias. Spoon a sleek line of the warm vanilla-parsnip purée onto plates, arrange the duck slices on top, and dress elegantly with the cherry-lavender gastrique. Garnish with a final pinch of fleur de sel.