Pan-Seared Duck Breast with...Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Blackberry-Ancho Mole & Parsnip-Vanilla Purée

An elegant fusion of rich French technique and vibrant Mexican flavors, featuring perfectly rendered duck breast, a glossy, complex blackberry-infused ancho mole, and a silky, aromatic parsnip purée.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Score the duck breast skin in a tight crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the flesh. Season generously with kosher salt and let rest at room temperature for 20 minutes.

2. 02

   Toast the dried ancho chiles in a dry pan over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let rehydrate for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 50ml of the soaking liquid.

3. 03

   To make the mole: Sauté the minced shallots and garlic in a saucepan with 10g of butter until translucent. Add the ground cinnamon and allspice, stirring for 30 seconds. Add the rehydrated chiles, blackberries, chicken stock, and the reserved chile soaking liquid. Simmer gently for 20 minutes until the blackberries break down.

4. 04

   Transfer the mole mixture to a high-speed blender and process until completely smooth. Return to low heat in a clean saucepan, then whisk in the chopped Mexican chocolate and 20g of cold butter until melted, glossy, and emulsified. Season with salt to taste and keep warm.

5. 05

   For the purée: Boil the chopped parsnips in salted water until completely tender (about 15 minutes). Drain well and transfer to a blender. Add the heavy cream, remaining 20g of butter, and the scraped vanilla bean seeds. Blend on high until velvety smooth. Pass through a fine chinois sieve for a flawless texture; keep warm.

6. 06

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry cast-iron skillet. Place over medium-low heat. Slowly render the fat for 12-15 minutes, pouring off excess fat as it accumulates, until the skin is deep golden brown and paper-thin crisp. Flip the breasts and sear the flesh side for 2-3 minutes for medium-rare. Remove from heat and let rest on a cutting board for 8 minutes.

7. 07

   To plate: Spoon a generous swipe of the vanilla-parsnip purée onto each plate. Slice the duck breasts on a bias. Pour a pool of the glossy blackberry-ancho mole alongside the purée, and fan the duck slices over the mole. Garnish with fresh halved blackberries, micro-cilantro, and edible marigold petals.