Pan-Seared Duck Breast with...Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Blackberry-Lavender Gastrique and Parsnip-Vanilla Purée

A Michelin-star calibre dish combining perfectly rendered Magret duck breast with a velvety, vanilla-kissed parsnip purée, balanced by a vibrant, aromatic blackberry and culinary lavender gastrique.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Score the skin of the duck breasts in a tight diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Season generously with kosher salt and let sit at room temperature for 15 minutes.

2. 02

   To make the purée, place chopped parsnips in a saucepan with enough salted water to cover. Bring to a boil and simmer until fork-tender, about 15 minutes. Drain well.

3. 03

   Transfer the warm parsnips to a high-speed blender. Add the heavy cream, 50g of butter, and the scraped vanilla seeds. Blend on high until completely smooth and velvety. Season with salt, pass through a fine-mesh chinois, and keep warm.

4. 04

   For the gastrique, melt the sugar with a splash of water in a small saucepan over medium heat until it caramelizes to a deep amber color. Deglaze immediately with the red wine vinegar, stirring rapidly to dissolve the caramel.

5. 05

   Add the blackberries, lavender buds, and veal stock to the caramel-vinegar mixture. Simmer gently for 15 minutes until the blackberries break down and the sauce reduces to a syrupy consistency. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve, pressing lightly on the solids, and whisk in 15g of cold butter to emulsify. Season with salt and keep warm.

6. 06

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry, heavy-bottomed skillet. Place over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat, pouring off excess fat periodically, until the skin is golden and ultra-crispy (about 10-12 minutes).

7. 07

   Turn the duck breasts over, add a sprig of thyme and a tablespoon of butter to the pan, and baste the duck for 2-3 minutes until the internal temperature reaches 52°C (125°F) for medium-rare. Remove from the pan and let rest on a warm plate for 8 minutes.

8. 08

   In a separate pan, sauté the chanterelles in 10g of butter with a sprig of thyme over medium-high heat until golden brown, about 4 minutes. Season with salt.

9. 09

   To plate: Swipe a generous spoonful of the parsnip-vanilla purée across each plate. Slice the rested duck breasts on a bias and fan alongside the purée. Arrange sautéed chanterelles around the plate, drizzle with the warm lavender-blackberry gastrique, and finish the duck with a sprinkle of fleur de sel.