“At fourteen railroad, for our pan-fried duck, we use Duck Magret, which is the juicy breast of a Moulard duck,” writes the team behind this new village restaurant in Warwick, in New York's Hudson Valley. “It's supplied by Labelle Farms near Monticello, NY. The Moulard duck is a cross between the Muscovy drake and a Peking hen. Hand-picked for its superb quality and succulent taste, the Magret duck is the most sought-after duck in the restaurant industry. When cooked to a temperature of medium rare, the duck is tender and melts in your mouth. Paired with sweet, dark cherries and port wine reduction on a bed of rich sweet potato purée, it is not only a must-try, but has quickly become one of our most requested dishes here at fourteen railroad.”
Pan-fried duck breast with a port wine sauce, puréed sweet potatoes, and fried leek heads
Ingredients
Duck breast
8 oz portion trimmed, fat-scored
Port wine sauce
750 ml port wine 10 year
1500 ml beef stock
1 can dark pitted cherries
1 can juice from cherries (save cherries for garnish)
4 Tbsp. butter to finish
Bring to boil
Simmer until reduced to glaze
Stir in butter
Sweet potato purée
Sweet potatoes peeled and diced
Water
Bring to boil
Simmer until potatoes are tender
Strain and reserve water
Add potatoes to blender
Purée, adding water until desired thickness
Salt and pepper to taste
Fried leek tops
Cleaned & sliced leek greens
Coat in corn starch
Fried to golden brown
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
- Peel and cook sweet potatoes in boiling water until soft.
- Mash and purée sweet potatoes while adding heavy cream to required consistency, season with salt and pepper.
- Season and cook the duck breast in a pan, fat side down until medium rare, saving a small amount of fat in the pan.
- Deglaze the pan with port wine and add duck stock, cherries, and honey, season with salt and pepper then reduce until thick.
- Strain sauce and add whole cherries while reheating.
- Deep fry leek heads until they reach a mid brown color.
- Assemble plate by adding in order sweet potato purée, sliced duck breast, cherry, honey, and port wine sauce, whole cherries, and finally leek heads.