Magret de Pato con...Magret de Pato con Mole de Mora

Pan-seared duck breast cooked to a perfect medium-rare, served over an ultra-silky, complex blackberry and charred heirloom chili mole, garnished with Mezcal-pickled blackberries and toasted pepitas.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Dry-sear the ancho, pasilla, and mulato chiles in a hot comal or dry cast-iron skillet over medium heat until fragrant, about 30 seconds per side. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let rehydrate for 20 minutes.

2. 02

   In the same dry skillet, char the onion slices and unpeeled garlic cloves until blackened in spots. Remove the garlic skins. Separately toast the almonds, pepitas, sesame seeds, cinnamon stick, and cloves until highly aromatic, then set aside. Pan-fry the plantain slices in a teaspoon of duck fat until deeply caramelized.

3. 03

   Drain the chiles. In a high-speed blender, combine the softened chiles, charred onion, peeled garlic, toasted nuts, seeds, spices, caramelized plantain, and 150g of fresh blackberries. Add 200ml of the duck stock and blend on high speed for 3 minutes until completely smooth.

4. 04

   Heat a tablespoon of duck fat in a heavy-bottomed pot. Pass the blended mole paste through a fine-mesh chinois directly into the hot pot to ensure a silky Michelin-grade texture. Fry the paste, stirring constantly, for 5 minutes until darkened.

5. 05

   Slowly whisk in the remaining duck stock and Mezcal. Bring to a simmer, lower the heat, and cook uncovered for 35 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the Mexican chocolate and let melt completely. Season with sea salt to taste.

6. 06

   For the pickled garnish, toss the halved fresh blackberries with the apple cider vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Set aside to macerate.

7. 07

   Score the skin of the duck breasts in a fine crosshatch pattern without cutting into the meat. Season generously with sea salt. Place skin-side down in a cold cast-iron skillet. Turn heat to medium-low and render the fat slowly for 8-10 minutes until the skin is incredibly thin and crispy. Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 57°C / 135°F). Rest for 10 minutes, then slice thin.

8. 08

   To serve, spoon a generous pool of the warm blackberry mole onto the center of each plate. Fan the sliced duck breast over the mole. Garnish with the Mezcal-pickled blackberries, toasted pepitas, and delicate edible flowers.