Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with...Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with Mole Rosa & Smoked Plantain Purée

An exquisite fine-dining Mexican masterwork featuring crispy skin duck breast served over a velvety, ruby-hued Mole Rosa infused with toasted pine nuts, mezcal, and dried hibiscus, balanced by a smooth, smoked plantain purée.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Steep dried hibiscus flowers in 200ml boiling water for 15 minutes to create a concentrated tea; strain and reserve both liquid and a few rehydrated petals for garnish.

2. 02

   Roast whole, unpeeled plantains over an open flame or at 200°C (400°F) for 20 minutes until black and soft. Peel, place flesh into a blender with 15g butter, smoked sea salt, and a splash of duck stock, then purée until silken.

3. 03

   In a dry pan, lightly toast pine nuts, sesame seeds, and pink peppercorns until fragrant. In a separate saucepan, sauté shallots, garlic, and habanero in 1 tbsp rendered duck fat until soft.

4. 04

   Deglaze saucepan with Mezcal, reducing by half. Add toasted nuts, seeds, spices, hibiscus tea, and remaining duck stock. Simmer for 12 minutes.

5. 05

   Transfer mole base to a high-speed blender, blend with chopped white chocolate and 30g cold butter until glossily emulsified. Pass through a fine chinoise sieve into a warm saucepan; season to taste.

6. 06

   Season scored duck breasts generously with kosher salt. Place skin-side down in a cold cast-iron skillet. Set heat to medium-low, slowly rendering fat until skin is deep golden and crisp (10–12 minutes).

7. 07

   Flip duck breasts and sear meat side for 2–3 minutes until core temperature reaches 54°C (130°F) for medium-rare. Rest on a warm rack for 8 minutes before slicing.

8. 08

   To plate: Spoon a vibrant arc of warm Mole Rosa across each warm plate. Pipe or swipe smoked plantain purée adjacent. Fan sliced duck breast over the mole and garnish with rehydrated hibiscus petals, extra toasted pine nuts, and micro cilantro.