Ingredients:
Crispy seared duck breast
4 duck breasts, each 8 oz
zest of 1 orange
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp green cardamom pods, crushed
2 Tbsp maple syrup 1 tsp black pepper 1⁄3 c olive oil
Maldon salt
Orange and sherry gastrique
1⁄2 c honey
1⁄2 c sherry vinegar
2 Tbsp Grand Marnier
2 Tbsp orange juice
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1⁄3 c unsalted butter, cut into cubes
Apple and green bean sauté
3 oz French green beans, stalk ends trimmed
1⁄2 Tbsp butter
1⁄2 Granny Smith apple, cored and diced
Method:
Crispy seared duck breast: Using a sharp knife, trim the duck breast of excess fat and sinew and discard. Score the remaining fat (not the meat) at 1⁄4-inch intervals, first in one direction, then at 90° to the original cuts to create a cross-hatch pattern.
Place the orange zest, cinnamon, cardamom, maple syrup, pepper and olive oil in a bowl large enough to hold the duck, and mix until well combined. Add the duck and allow to marinate for at least 2 hours or up to 12 hours.
Remove the duck from the marinade, wipe off the spices with a paper towel and pat dry. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the marinade. Heat a large pan over medium heat, add the duck, skin side down, and cook for 7 to 8 minutes. If the skin
is browning too quickly, reduce the heat; if it is not browning, increase the heat. The skin should be brown and crisp. Turn the duck over and brown the flesh side for about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow the duck to rest in the pan for 5 minutes.
Orange gastrique: Place the honey and vinegar in a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until reduced by half, 3 to 4 minutes. Pour in the Grand Marnier, orange juice and lemon juice and reduce by half again, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and whisk in the butter, one cube at a time, until well emulsified. Set aside.
Apple and green bean sauté: Fill a large bowl with ice and cold water. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil over high heat, add the beans and cook for 2 minutes or until just crisp-tender. Plunge them into the ice bath to stop the cooking and keep them green.
Melt the butter in a small sauté pan over low heat, add the apples and sauté for about 1 minute. Stir in the green beans, sauté for another minute and season with salt and pepper.
To serve Set the duck breasts, skin side down, on a cutting board. Holding a sharp knife at an angle, slice the duck diagonally into 8 slices. Spoon some of the apple and green bean sauté onto individual plates. Fan a couple of slices of the duck, skin side up, over the sauté, drizzle with the orange gastrique and sprinkle with Maldon salt.