Seared Muscovy Duck with...Seared Muscovy Duck with Black Cherry Mole and Toasted Amaranth

Name: Seared Muscovy Duck with Black Cherry Mole and Toasted Amaranth
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 75 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 2 large Muscovy duck breasts, skin scored in a cross-hatch pattern; 2 dried Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried Mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded; 2 dried Pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded; 1 cup fresh black cherries, pitted and halved; 2 oz premium Mezcal Joven; 1.5 oz Mexican dark chocolate, finely chopped; 2 cups rich duck or dark chicken stock; 1 small white onion, charred and sliced; 3 garlic cloves, roasted; 0.5 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon; 3 tbsp amaranth seeds, toasted until popped; 1 watermelon radish, shaved thinly for garnish; Maldon sea salt to taste

🍴

Cuisine

Mexican-French Fusion

👥

Servings

⏱

Prep Time

30 mins

🍳

Cook Time

45 mins

⭐

Difficulty

Hard

A sophisticated fusion of traditional Oaxacan techniques and modern gastronomy, featuring a velvet-smooth black cherry mole, mezcal-infused aromatics, and perfectly rendered duck breast.

Mexican-French FusionHard

Ingredients

•2 large Muscovy duck breasts, skin scored in a cross-hatch pattern

•2 dried Ancho chiles, stemmed and seeded

•2 dried Mulato chiles, stemmed and seeded

•2 dried Pasilla chiles, stemmed and seeded

•1 cup fresh black cherries, pitted and halved

•2 oz premium Mezcal Joven

•1.5 oz Mexican dark chocolate, finely chopped

•2 cups rich duck or dark chicken stock

•1 small white onion, charred and sliced

•3 garlic cloves, roasted

•0.5 tsp ground Ceylon cinnamon

•3 tbsp amaranth seeds, toasted until popped

•1 watermelon radish, shaved thinly for garnish

•Maldon sea salt to taste

Cooking Instructions

01
In a dry cast-iron skillet, toast the dried chiles over medium heat for 30 seconds per side until fragrant. Submerge in hot water for 20 minutes to rehydrate.
02
In a small saucepan, combine the cherries and mezcal. Simmer over low heat until the liquid is reduced by half and cherries are softened.
03
Place the rehydrated chiles, charred onion, roasted garlic, reduced cherry-mezcal mixture, cinnamon, and 1 cup of stock into a high-speed blender. Process until completely smooth.
04
Pass the sauce through a fine-mesh chinois into a clean saucepan. Add the remaining stock and chocolate. Simmer on low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the mole coats the back of a spoon. Season with salt.
05
Place duck breasts skin-side down in a cold stainless steel pan. Place over medium-low heat. Render the fat slowly for 10-12 minutes, pouring off excess fat, until the skin is deep golden and ultra-crispy.
06
Increase heat to medium-high, flip the duck, and sear the flesh side for 2-3 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 54°C/130°F).
07
Transfer duck to a warm plate and rest for at least 8 minutes. This ensures the juices redistribute for maximum tenderness.
08
To serve, ladle a generous circle of the Black Cherry Mole onto warmed plates. Slice the duck breasts thinly and fan over the sauce. Garnish with popped amaranth, shaved radish, and a sprinkle of Maldon salt.

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