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

An avant-garde Mexican masterpiece featuring perfectly rendered duck breast paired with a velvety, complex blackberry-infused mole and a silky parsnip purée.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Toast the dried ancho and guajillo chilies in a dry skillet over medium-high heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Transfer to a bowl, cover with boiling water, and let soften for 15 minutes. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.

2. 02

   In the same dry skillet, toast the pumpkin seeds, cinnamon stick, and cloves until fragrant and slightly browned (about 3 minutes). Transfer to a spice grinder or mortar and pestle and grind into a fine powder.

3. 03

   Heat 1 tablespoon of duck fat (trimmed from the breasts) in a saucepan. Sauté the chopped onion and garlic until deeply caramelized. Add 1 cup of the blackberries, the ground spice mix, the rehydrated chilies, and the chicken stock. Simmer gently for 15 minutes.

4. 04

   Transfer the mixture to a high-powered blender. Blend on high until completely smooth. Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh chinois sieve back into the saucepan. Stir in the dark chocolate and simmer on low for 10 minutes until thick and glossy. Season with salt and a touch of agave if needed; keep warm.

5. 05

   For the purée, boil the chopped parsnips in salted water until fork-tender (about 15 minutes). Drain and transfer to a blender with warm heavy cream and butter. Blend until completely smooth and velvety. Season with kosher salt and pass through a fine sieve.

6. 06

   Pat the duck breasts completely dry. Season both sides generously with kosher salt. Place skin-side down in a cold, dry cast-iron skillet. Turn heat to medium-low and slowly render the fat for 10-12 minutes, pouring off excess fat, until the skin is golden and extremely crispy.

7. 07

   Flip the duck breasts and cook for an additional 2-3 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 135°F/57°C). Transfer to a cutting board and let rest for 5-7 minutes before slicing.

8. 08

   To serve, spoon a generous pool of the warm blackberry mole onto the center of each plate. Draw a swiped circle of the parsnip purée alongside. Slice the duck breast on the bias and fan it over the mole. Garnish with the remaining fresh blackberries, toasted sesame seeds, and delicate micro-cilantro.