Kristen's Recipes

Duck Breast with Braised Cabbage

2 ounces duck fat

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 ounces bacon, thinly sliced

1 medium white cabbage, thinly sliced

12 juniper berries, chopped

20 black peppercorns, ground

1 sprig of thyme, chopped

1 bottle white wine

4 duck breast halves

Heat duck fat in a sauté pan and cook onions and bacon over medium heat until onions are soft. Add spices. Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and plunge the cabbage into it, removing and draining right away. Add it to onions and cook for 2 minutes. Add wine and stir. Cover pot and simmer for 1½ hours. Start preparing duck breasts 30 minutes before you want to serve. Take a sharp knife and score the skin of the duck breast with three cuts each way across, creating a crisscross pattern. Be sure to not go all the way through the skin to the meat. The purpose of the scoring is to expose the fat to help with rendering. Season with salt and pepper. Render the duck breasts skin-side down in a sauté pan on medium heat, draining off excess fat every 5 minutes. After 20 minutes, the fat cap should be mostly removed, leaving a nicely crisped skin. Flip the breasts over and finish cooking for about 5 minutes. Let the breast rest in a warm place for 5 minutes. Place a mound of braised cabbage on each plate. Slice breasts thinly and place on top of braised cabbage to serve.

Herb-Roasted Pheasant

1 pheasant

¼ bunch of rosemary, divided use

¼ bunch of sage, divided use

¼ lb white truffle butter, melted

1 bunch of escarole

10 Cipollini onions, peeled

4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced

1/4 cup white wine, or vermouth

1 cup duck and veal demi-glace

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. Pick all the herbs so that they are individual leaves, discard stems. Separate 1/2 of the herbs, chop finely and set aside. Using your index finger, carefully separate the pheasant skin from the breasts and thighs, being careful not to tear the skin. Piece by piece, place the whole leaf herbs evenly underneath the skin. Rub the softened truffle butter over the bird so that it forms a shell on the outside. Season well with salt and pepper. Place the bird in a pan on top of the peeled cipollini onions and roast in the oven for 10 minutes at 400 degrees, then lower the oven to 350 degrees for an additional 30 minutes. While the bird is roasting, sauté the escarole with the garlic and season with salt and pepper. You might need to add a little water to make sure the escarole is soft. Deglaze the roasting pan with the white wine or vermouth, then add the demi-glace. Reduce by half and strain, then stir in the minced herbs and season with salt and pepper to taste. Tip: Serve this dish with a side of sweet potato puree. To plate, place a dollop of the sweet potato puree just above the center of each warmed plate, then add the escarole beside it. Slice the meat off the breast of the pheasant (in three lengthwise slices for each breast) and remove the thighs. Place a thigh on each plate, then layer the sliced breast meat on top. Finish with a generous drizzle of sauce and serve with chilled white wine.

1 Muscovy duck breast (about 1 pound)
1 tsp. salt
4 garlic cloves, smashed to a paste, with a little salt
1 tsp. coarsely crushed peppercorns
Parsley salad (recipe follows)

With a sharp knife, remove the tenderloin from the underside of the duck breast and reserve for another purpose. Trim any ragged bits or gristle. Turn the breast over and trim any excess fat from the edges. Score the skin by making shallow diagonal cuts, 1/2 inch apart, in one direction and then repeating in the other direction, creating a diamond pattern. Season on both sides with the salt, then massage with the garlic paste. Press the crushed peppercorns evenly over both sides. Put the duck on a platter and leave to marinate for at least 1 hour at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight (if the latter, bring to room temperature before cooking).. Heat a cast-iron skillet over medium-high heat. After 5 minutes, when the pan is hot, carefully add the duck breast skin side down and let it begin to sizzle. Using tongs, check to see that the skin is not browning too quickly, and reduce the heat as necessary. Be careful: The duck breast will render a fair amount of hot fat. The skin should be golden and crisp after 6 or 7 minutes. Turn the breast over and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove to a carving board and let rest for 10 minutes. (When the rendered duck fat has cooled a bit, strain into a jar and save for future use). Cut at an angle into 1/4-inch-thick slices and arrange on a platter. Top with the parsley salad and serve. Serves 2 to 4.

To make the parsley salad:

1 large bunch flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp. lemon juice
Salt and pepper
1 small garlic clove, minced
2 tsp. olive oil
A chunk of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese for shaving (optional)

Pick the parsley leaves from the stems—you want about 2 C. Wash and gently dry with a clean towel. In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, salt and pepper to taste, garlic and olive oil. The parsley leaves must be dressed at the very last minute. Season with a sprinkle of salt, then toss with the dressing to coat lightly and serve in a fluffy pile. Garnish with shavings of Parmesan, if desired

There is no substitute for canvasback duck. It is a unique taste in the animal world, one you cannot replicate with a domestic duck or even another worthy wild duck, like a mallard or pintail. That is not to say you cannot do this with any of these lesser stand-ins, but be prepared to be in awe when you finally get the chance, someday, to taste the real thing.

As for the other things on this plate, white hominy grits are easily bought in much of this country, but California (where I live) is not one of them. So I use polenta instead. Any breadcrumbs are fine. For the fat I went authentic and fried the little cakes in lard, but I would only recommend this if you can get fresh-rendered lard. Never use the hydrogenated stuff that needs not be refrigerated. Use butter instead. Keep in mind you need to make the hominy a few hours ahead to let it cool.

Red currant jelly is sold in many supermarkets, but you can use any red fruit jelly really. I used chokecherry syrup from Montana, but cherry syrup or jelly would be ideal, as would cranberry jelly or syrup. You are looking for red and tart.

I use glace de viande for my pan sauces, and so should you. You can either use my recipe for duck demi-glace and make it yourself, or you can buy it online.

Serve this with a bitter green salad, dressed with a light coating of walnut oil and white wine vinegar, and serve with a big, burly red wine. This would be the time to break out the Bordeaux.

1 cup finely ground hominy or polenta
Salt
5 cups water
1 canvasback duck or other whole duck, plucked and gutted
1/4 cup butter or duck fat, divided
1 egg, beaten
1 cup breadcrumbs
1 shallot, minced
1/3 cup red currant jelly or syrup
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup demi-glace (or 1 cup stock reduced to 1/4 cup)
A dash of hot sauce

Make the hominy by bringing the water and about a tablespoon of salt to a boil. Start stirring the water and pour the hominy grits into the water in a steady stream. Turn the heat to low and cook this for at least 20 minutes, and up to an hour, stirring occasionally. Turn out the grits into a loaf pan or other small, high-sided container and let cool for at least 1 hour. Preheat the oven to 500°F, or if your oven won’t get that high, as high as it will go. This would be the time to fire up the pizza oven, if you have one. Pat the canvasback dry with a paper towel and salt the inside. Smear duck fat or butter all over the bird and salt it well on the outside. Let this sit at room temperature for at least 2o minutes, while your oven heats up. Meanwhile, turn the cooled hominy grits out onto a cutting board and slice off the side that had been exposed to air. Cut the rest into shapes of your choice. Get a bowl with your egg ready, and another bowl for the breadcrumbs. Put the canvasback in an oven-proof pan — I use a cast-iron pan — and set the timer for 18 minutes. Once you do this, put the remaining butter or lard into a frying pan and heat it on medium-high. As soon as it is hot, dredge the hominy grits in egg, then the breadcrumbs and fry in the lard until golden. Set aside on a paper towel to drain. At the 10-minute mark of roasting, baste the canvasback with some butter or duck fat. When it is done to your liking, take the duck out, remove it from the hot pan and set it on the cutting board tented loosely with foil. A medium-rare duck will be about 18 minutes, medium 20-22, and don’t go past 25 minutes unless the canvasback is really fatty. Domestic ducks will need this extra time. Look for a temperature in the breast of about 135-140°F. As the duck is resting, make sure you have at least 2 tablespoons of fat in the pan you roasted the bird in. Set this on the stove over medium heat. Be careful, as the pan will be hot. Add the shallots and sauté for 2 minutes, or until they begin to brown. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and any salt if needed. Bring this to a rolling boil and let it cook down until a wooden spoon dragged through it leaves a noticeable trail. You want a thick consistency, but not so much as syrup or gravy. Carve the canvasback (save the carcass for duck stock) and add any juices to the sauce. Pour some sauce on the plate, add a hominy cake or two and top with the duck. Serve at once.

1/2 tsp. coarsely ground black peppercorns

1/4 tsp. sugar

2 boneless Moulard or Muscovy duck breast halves (3/4 to 1 lb. each) or 4 boneless Pekin (Long Island) duck breast halves (about 6 oz. each), skin and fat removed (you can reserve a little fat for cooking the breasts)

3 T. lime blossom, thyme, or wildflower honey

1 T. fresh thyme leaves (and flowers, if possible), plus sprigs for garnish

1 tsp. reserved duck fat or olive oil

3 T. balsamic vinegar

1/4 C. veal demiglace or 1/2 C. low-sodium chicken broth, reduced to 1/4 C.

2 tsp. cold unsalted butter

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a small bowl, combine the kosher salt and peppercorns with the sugar. Place the duck breasts on a platter and rub the spice mixture into each one. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight. About 20 minutes before cooking, remove the duck breasts from the refrigerator to return to room temperature. Pat dry with paper towels. With a paring knife, remove the tenderloin, the thin strip of meat that runs lengthwise down the underside of each breast. In a small saucepan, combine the honey and thyme leaves and bring to just a simmer over low heat, crushing the leaves with the back of a spoon; set aside to infuse for 5 minutes. In a heavy medium skillet, heat the duck fat until hot and shimmering. Add the duck breasts and tenderloins and cook until browned and crusty on both sides but still springy to the touch, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side for the Moulard or Muscovy breasts, or 2 to 3 minutes per side for Pekin breasts, about 1 minute per side for the tenderloins. Just before they are done, brush each duck breast with some of the thyme-infused honey and continue to cook until lightly caramelized. Transfer the breasts to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Discard the fat from the pan. Add the balsamic vinegar to the pan and stir to loosen the browned bits on the bottom. Boil until the vinegar is very syrupy, about 1 1/2 minutes. Stir in the remaining infused honey and the demiglace and return to a boil. Boil until thick and syrupy, about 1 1/2 minutes longer. Stir in the cold butter and add the salt and pepper to taste. Using a thin sharp knife, slice each breast on a diagonal 1/8 inch thick. Arrange the slices on four warmed dinner plates. Pour the duck juices left on the cutting board into the pan sauce, strain the sauce over the duck slices, and serve at once.

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1/4 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves

1/4 teaspoon honey

Freshly cracked black pepper and sea salt

2 cups thinly sliced fennel

2 cups thinly sliced celery root

2 cups thinly sliced carrot

2 cups thinly sliced beet

3 thinly sliced shallots

1 bunch of flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped

6 duck legs

In a large bowl, whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, thyme leaves, honey, pepper, and salt.  Use the fine slicer disc of a food processor to thinly slice all the vegetables.  Add them and the parsley to the large bowl, and toss with the vinaigrette.  Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until later.  Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.  In a wide oven-safe skillet, place the duck legs, skin side down, over medium heat.  Season the duck with salt, and sear until the skin begins to crisp.  Place the whole skillet, with the duck, in the oven.  Roast for 1 hour, then flip the duck legs, and roast for another hour. To serve, mound the softened vegetable salad on a plate, and top with a crispy, almost-confited duck leg.

2 C. Buttermilk

2 each Eggs-beaten

2 tsp. Flour

2 tsp. Cayenne Pepper

1 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Parsley Flakes

In a mixing bowl add dry ingredients. Whisk in remaining ingredients. Preheat Fryer to 350F. Dip Quail in batter and drop in Fryer and cook until Crispy (4-5 Minutes).

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Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 T. unsalted butter

1 yellow onion, chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1/2 tsp. celery seed

1 C. pitted prunes, halved

3 Golden Delicious apples, peeled, cored and cut in wedges

8 fresh sage leaves

1 pint dried rye bread cubes, crusts off

1/2 lemon, juiced

1/2 C. heavy cream

2 T. all-purpose flour

1 C. fruity red wine, such as Pinot Noir

2 C. chicken stock

Duck is a notoriously fatty bird. To diminish the fat and produce a crispy skin, begin by trimming the excess fat from the body. Rinse the duck thoroughly, inside and out, and pat dry with paper towels. Season the bird inside and out with a generous amount of salt and pepper. To prepare the stuffing: Melt the butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the onion, celery, celery seed, prunes, apples, and 4 sage leaves; season with salt and pepper; saute for 10 minutes until soft. Add the bread cubes and toss the mixture together to combine. Put the stuffing in a large mixing bowl and moisten it with a squeeze of lemon and the heavy cream; give it another toss and season with salt and pepper. Spoon the stuffing into the duck cavity. Rip off a foot long piece of aluminum foil and lay it on an insert rack fitted in a roasting pan, let a bit of the foil hang off the end. Lay the duck, breast-side up, on the foil; tuck the wing tips back under the duck, and fold the excess foil over the end of the duck with the stuffing. The foil will protect the stuffing from burning and falling into the delicious duck fat. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Roast the duck for 21/2 to 3 hours, rotating the pan every 20 minutes or so. It may seem like a bother, but it’s the best way to ensure an even crispy skin. The legs will wiggle easily when the bird is done and an instant-read thermometer will register about 180 degrees F when inserted into the thigh. Take the insert rack out of the pan and set the duck on a cutting board to let it rest before carving. Now you have a whole lot of duck fat in the bottom of the roasting pan. Pour out all but a couple of T. of the duck fat into a container and reserve. For the gravy: Place the roasting pan, with the couple of T. of duck fat, on the stove over 2 burners set on medium heat. Sprinkle in the flour and stir to make a paste. Crank the heat up to high and add the wine, cook and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, until the liquid is reduced slightly. Add the chicken stock and remaining 4 sage leaves, season with salt and pepper. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until the gravy has thickened slightly.

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2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 lime, zested and juiced

2 T. sorghum or firmly packed brown sugar

Salt and pepper

With a sharp knife, score the skin on each duck breast, but don’t cut through to the meat. In a small bowl, combine the garlic, lime juice and zest, sorghum, salt and pepper. Use a small brush to paint the surface of each duck breast with the sorghum mixture and let marinate for 1 hour. Prepare a very hot grill and cook the duck breast, skin-side down, for about 4 minutes (watch for flare-ups). Turn and continue grilling for 3 minutes, or until the duck breast is still pink in the center. To serve, slice and fan out on the plate.

Wild Rice-Dried Cherry Pilaf:

2 T. olive oil

1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped

1 C. wild rice

3 C. chicken broth

1/2 C. long-grain white rice

1/2 C. dried cherries

1 T. sorghum

Salt and pepper

In a covered casserole, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the onion until translucent, about 4 minutes. Add the wild rice and chicken broth, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and let simmer for 20 minutes. Add the white rice, dried cherries, and sorghum. Cover again and cook until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Season, to taste, and serve.

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Salt and fresh-ground pepper

1 tsp. herbes de Provence

About 1 bottle (750 ml.) Pinot Noir

2 T. olive oil

1/4 C. minced shallots

4 C. low-sodium chicken broth

1 sprig fresh thyme, rinsed

1 dried bay leaf

1 T. butter

1 onion (about 8 oz.), peeled and chopped

1 lb. broccoli rabe (also called rapini), rinsed, ends trimmed, and cut into about 1-inch pieces, or 1 1/2 lb. mustard greens, rinsed, trimmed, and sliced crosswise

2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 flat anchovy (optional), minced

About 1/4 tsp. cayenne

About 1 T. lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375°. Rinse duck legs and pat dry. Lay legs skin side up in a roasting pan that just holds them comfortably. Sprinkle with salt, pepper, and the herbes de Provence. Roast duck in preheated oven for 1 hour. Spoon fat from pan and save for other uses or discard. Pour wine over duck; it should be deep enough so meat is immersed but skin is exposed. Continue roasting until skin is golden red, about 30 minutes longer (20 minutes if using convection heat). Meanwhile, pour 1 T. olive oil into a 1 1/2- to 2-quart pan over medium-high heat; add shallots and stir often until beginning to brown, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, thyme, and bay leaf; boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 1/2 C., about 45 minutes. When duck is done, add 1 C. braising liquid to broth mixture and boil, stirring often, until mixture is reduced by about one-fourth, about 15 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a small pitcher or bowl. While broth reduces, prepare greens: In a 12- to 14-inch frying pan over medium-high heat, melt butter with remaining 1 T. olive oil. Add onion and stir often until beginning to brown, about 7 minutes. Add greens (if using mustard greens, add half, stir until wilted, then add remaining) and cook, stirring often, until tender to bite, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and the anchovy, if using, and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute longer. Remove from heat and season to taste with salt, pepper, cayenne, and lemon juice. Mound greens on plates and set duck legs on top. Serve pan juices alongside.

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1 cup zinfandel or other fruity dry red wine

1/4 cup finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon juniper berries, crushed (optional)

1/2 teaspoon cracked black pepper

1/3 cup seedless blackberry jam

2 teaspoons butter

4 (4-ounce) semiboneless quail

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Cooking spray

 

Prepare grill to medium-high heat. Combine first 4 ingredients in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, and cook until reduced to 1/4 cup (about 8 minutes). Strain mixture through a sieve over a bowl, reserving wine mixture. Discard solids. Add wine mixture and jam to pan; cook over medium heat 2 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; stir in butter. Keep warm. Sprinkle the quail with 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt and ground black pepper. Place quail on a grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 2 minutes on each side or until desired degree of doneness. Serve with wine sauce.

6 New Mexico dried red chile peppers
2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Lemon juice
2 T. olive oil
12 6-ounce quail, breastbone removed
Kumquat Sauce:
1 T. canola oil
2 large shallots, minced or 1/4 C. minced red onion
12 fresh kumquats, chopped with skin intact
2 fresh jalape�o chile peppers, seeded and minced
1/4 C. red wine vinegar
2 C. fresh orange juice
1 T. honey
1 1/2 C. fat-free, no-salt-added canned chicken broth
salt and freshly ground pepper
fresh kumquats and lemon leaves, for garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 300�F. Arrange peppers on a baking sheet and roast for 30 to 45 seconds until warmed. Remove the stems and seeds and puree the flesh in a food processor to a fine powder. Stir in black pepper and place in a shallow dish. Set aside. Rinse the quail and pat dry. Sometimes you can buy quail already boned-out, or remove the breastbone by cutting down the bone with a sharp knife and pulling the bone away from the carcass. Rub the quail with lemon juice and brush tops of quail with the olive oil. Sprinkle on the chile pepper mixture and press in gently with your fingers. Increase oven setting to 325�F. Place the quail in a single layer in a large shallow baking pan, breast side up. Add about 1/8 inch water to the pan. Cover with foil and bake for 30 to 45 minutes, until done. To prepare sauce: heat oil in a small heavy saucepan. Add shallots, kumquats and jalape�os. Saute over low heat, stirring, until shallots are limp, about 4 minutes. Stir in vinegar and simmer until liquid almost evaporates. Add orange juice, honey, and chicken broth. Simmer until reduced to about 2 1/2 C. and the sauce lightly coats the back of a wooden spoon. Taste, adding salt (if using) and pepper. Keep warm. To serve, arrange roasted quail on a large serving platter. Nap each quail with 2 T. of the sauce. Place any remaining sauce in a small serving dish to pass separately. Decorate the platter with lemon leaves and kumquats.

Yield: 12 servings
Calories: 243
Fat: 9g
Fiber: 2g

Note: The analysis assumes that you will not eat the skin. If you do, add 50 calories and 5 grams of fat.

5 T. olive oil

6– 12 boneless quail

6 slices of bacon

6 – 12 large bell peppers

¼ C. (½ stick) butter

salt

Sauce:

1 onion, finely chopped

20 grapes, peeled and seeded

5 T. red wine

5 T. white wine

a little meat sauce

1 bay leaf

 

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Heat the oil in a skillet. Add the quail and cook over low heat, turning occasionally, for a few minutes, but do not let them brown. Remove the quail from the pan and reserve the oil. Lightly season the quail with salt and put a slice of bacon into the cavity of each one. Cut out the stalks and remove the seeds from the bell peppers. Put each quail into a bell pepper and add a little butter. Put into an ovenproof baking dish and bake for about 1 hour. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Reheat the oil in the skillet. Add the onion and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes, until softened. Add the grapes, red and white wine, meat sauce, and bay leaf, season to taste with salt, and cook for 10 minutes. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Serve the quail in the bell peppers and offer the sauce separately.

4 squab

1/4 C. olive oil

1 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 T. minced shallots

1 tsp. minced garlic

1 C. fresh cherries, pitted and halved

1/4 C. balsamic vinegar

1/2 C. reduced dark chicken stock

1 T. chopped sage

1 T. unsalted butter

Fried Sweet Potato and Beet Nests:

1/2 pound beets, peeled and cut into threads on a turning mandoline

1/2 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into threads on a turning mandoline

2 C. flour

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Haricots Verts, recipe follows

 

Preheat the oven to 475 degrees F. Cut the backbone out of the squab and gently flatten with the palm of your hand. Lightly season the squab on both sides with salt and ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large saute pan or skillet over medium-high heat. Add the squab, skin-side down, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn and place in the oven. Roast until the birds are cooked through and tender, about 7 minutes. Remove from the oven and transfer to a platter. Cover with aluminum foil. Drain all but 1 T. of fat from the pan and place over medium-high heat. Add the shallots to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the cherries and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook, stirring, to deglaze the pan. When nearly all the vinegar has evaporated, add the chicken stock and sage. Cook until reduced by 25 percent in volume, about 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat, add the butter and stir. Adjust the seasoning, to taste. For the Fried Nests: Preheat a fryer to 360 degrees F. Dredge the beets and sweet potatoes in the flour, shaking off any excess. Place the sweet potatoes and beets in the fryer and cook until golden brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the beets/sweet potatoes from the fryer with a spider to a paper towel lined plate and season with salt. To serve, place the potato nest on a platter. Place squab on top and top with sauce. Arrange the haricots verts around the sides and serve immediately.

 

Haricots Verts:

12 ounces haricots verts, ends trimmed, or small thin green beans

2 T. unsalted butter

 

Bring a small saucepan of salted water to a boil. Add the haricots verts and cook until just tender, about 1 minute. Transfer with a slotted spoon to an ice bath to refresh. Drain. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium-high heat. Add the drained haricots verts, and cook, stirring, for 3 minutes.

1 tsp. ground allspice
1 tsp. freshly ground pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
4 skinless duck breasts, 5 ounces each, all fat removed
butter-flavored cooking spray
1 medium onion, 5 ounces, minced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
3 fresh sage leaves, minced or 1/4 tsp. rubbed dried
1 tsp. minced fresh rosemary or 1/4 tsp. crushed dried
1/2 ounce low fat, low-sodium ham, chopped
1/2 C. dry white wine
1/2 C. fat-free, no salt added canned chicken broth
2 medium Granny Smith or Fuji apples, 10 ounces total, cored and sliced
1 T. red wine vinegar
extra fresh sage leaves for garnish (optional)

Combine the allspice, pepper, and salt; rub into the duck breasts. Allow to stand at room temperature for 15 minutes. Lightly coat a nonstick skillet with cooking spray. Add the duck breasts and saut over high heat until browned on both sides. Lower heat and cook until medium rare, about another 3 minutes per side. Do not overcook duck breast as it becomes dry and stringy. Transfer duck breasts to a heated platter; keep warm. Add the onion, garlic, sage, rosemary, and ham to the skillet. Stir in wine and broth. Reduce liquid to about 1/3 C. Spray another nonstick skillet with cooking spray and saut apple slices with red winger until they begin to soften, about 4 minutes. Set aside. Add the duck breasts to the reduced sauce and reheat. Place a duck breast on each of 4 serving plates. Top with equal portions of the sauce and apples. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 servings
Calories: 257
Fat: 7g
Fiber: 3g

1/4 C. unsalted butter

2 T. chopped shallots

2 cloves garlic, crushed and then finely chopped

6 oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms, brushed clean, trimmed and coarsely chopped

6 oz fresh oyster mushrooms, brushed clean, trimmed and coarsely chopped

5 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms, brushed clean, trimmed and coarsely chopped

1/3 C. dry white wine

1 C. veal stock or purchased beef stock

1 T. chopped fresh parsley

Preheat an oven to 400 degrees. Using a sharp knife, trim off the excess fat from around the edges of the duck breasts. Score the remaining skin covering the breast in a cross-hatch pattern every 1 inch. Rub salt and pepper to taste onto all sides of the breasts. Place them, skin side down, in an ovenproof sauté pan. Place the pan over high heat and heat until the breasts begin to sizzle loudly, 2-3 minutes. Then slip the sauté pan into the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the breasts over and continue to cook in the oven until firm to the touch, about 5 minutes longer for medium-rare. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and keep warm. Pour off the fat from the sauté pan. Place the pan over medium-high heat. Add the butter and, when it melts, add the shallots and garlic and sauté just until the shallots are translucent, 1-2 minutes. Add all of the mushrooms and salt and pepper to taste and continue to sauté until the mushrooms begin to soften, 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and cook until reduced by one-third, about 2 minutes. Add the veal stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning. Meanwhile, cut the duck breasts crosswise on the diagonal into slices 1/2 inch thick. Spoon the mushrooms onto a warmed serving platter or individual plates. Arrange the sliced breasts on top. Serve immediately.

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