Home / Recipes / Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Mole Negro and Mezcal-Compressed Pineapple

Let's Cook

Pan-Seared Duck Breast with...Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Mole Negro and Mezcal-Compressed Pineapple

Name: Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Mole Negro and Mezcal-Compressed Pineapple
Prep time: 45 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 90 min
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Modern Mexican
Ingredients: 2 large duck breasts (approx. 14 oz each), skin scored; 2 dried Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried Pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried Mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1.5 oz Mexican dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped; 1/2 ripe plantain, sliced; 1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced into 1/4-inch cubes; 2 tbsp artisanal Joven Mezcal; 1 cup fresh epazote leaves, tightly packed; 1/2 cup neutral grapeseed oil; 2 cups rich duck stock (or roasted chicken stock); 1 medium Roma tomato, charred; 2 medium tomatillos, husked and charred; 1 stale blue corn tortilla; 2 tbsp raw almonds; 2 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas); 1 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted; 2 tbsp dark raisins; 1-inch cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves, 2 allspice berries; Flaky sea salt to taste

🍴

Cuisine

Modern Mexican

👥

Servings

⏱

Prep Time

45 mins

🍳

Cook Time

45 mins

⭐

Difficulty

Hard

A Michelin-caliber Mexican dish featuring crispy-skinned duck breast paired with a velvety, complex 24-ingredient Mole Negro, brightened by mezcal-infused pineapple and vibrant epazote oil.

Modern MexicanHard

Ingredients

•2 large duck breasts (approx. 14 oz each), skin scored

•2 dried Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

•2 dried Pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded

•2 dried Mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded

•1.5 oz Mexican dark chocolate (70% cacao), finely chopped

•1/2 ripe plantain, sliced

•1/2 cup fresh pineapple, diced into 1/4-inch cubes

•2 tbsp artisanal Joven Mezcal

•1 cup fresh epazote leaves, tightly packed

•1/2 cup neutral grapeseed oil

•2 cups rich duck stock (or roasted chicken stock)

•1 medium Roma tomato, charred

•2 medium tomatillos, husked and charred

•1 stale blue corn tortilla

•2 tbsp raw almonds

•2 tbsp raw pumpkin seeds (pepitas)

•1 tbsp white sesame seeds, toasted

•2 tbsp dark raisins

•1-inch cinnamon stick, 2 whole cloves, 2 allspice berries

•Flaky sea salt to taste

Cooking Instructions

01
Prepare the Epazote Herb Oil: Blanch epazote leaves in boiling salted water for 10 seconds, then immediately shock in ice water. Squeeze out all moisture thoroughly. Blend on high speed with grapeseed oil for 3 minutes until vibrant green. Strain through fine cheesecloth and set aside.
02
Compress the Pineapple: Place diced pineapple, mezcal, and a pinch of salt into a chamber vacuum sealer bag. Seal at high pressure to compress, then chill in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
03
Toast Chiles and Rehydrate: Lightly toast Ancho, Pasilla, and Mulato chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes until fragrant. Submerge in hot duck stock for 20 minutes to rehydrate.
04
Char Aromatics and Spices: In the same dry skillet, char the tomato, tomatillos, plantain, and stale blue corn tortilla until deeply blackened in spots. Toast almonds, pepitas, raisins, cinnamon, cloves, and allspice until fragrant.
05
Blend and Simmer Mole Negro: Combine rehydrated chiles, stock, charred ingredients, nuts, seeds, and spices into a high-powered blender. Puree on high for 3 minutes until completely smooth. Pass through a fine tamis or fine-mesh sieve into a saucepan. Stir in dark chocolate and simmer on low for 30 minutes until glossy and thick. Season with sea salt.
06
Sear the Duck Breast: Score the duck skin in a fine crosshatch pattern without cutting into the meat. Season generously with salt. Place skin-side down in a cold pan over medium-low heat to render fat for 10-12 minutes until crisp and mahogany. Flip and cook for 2-3 minutes until internal temperature reaches 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare. Rest for 5-8 minutes.
07
Plate and Serve: Carve duck breast against the grain into thin slices. Spoon a pool of warm Mole Negro onto warm plates. Arrange duck fan-style over mole. Top with mezcal-compressed pineapple, split drops of epazote oil around the plate, and finish with toasted sesame seeds.

Cooking Reviews

“

The Caprese Salad Skewers recipe was a triumph! I prepared them for a party's barbecue and everyone loved them. The basil was so aromatic, the mozzarella so fresh, and the skewers were the perfect size and an appropriate.

Michael Burns

July 1, 2023

Nutritional Info

calories680 kcal

protein42g

fat44g

carbs28g

Recipe by

Community Chef

See More →

Let’s Get
into Cooking!

See Recipes →

Related Recipes

Explore More →