Happy St. Valentine's Day... MASSACRE!
Feb. 15th, 2020 12:16 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
madbakerNext week's Resolution Recipe, which I cooked for the two of us for aforesaid massacre, is a two-fer.
Duck Breast with Pesto and Pomegranate
2 6-8 oz duck breasts, skin on
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 Tbsp brandy
1/6 cup sugar
2 Tbsp pesto (there are instructions to make it, but I keep habitually keep some in the freezer from basil season)
Heat a water bath to 135. Rub the breasts all over with salt and pepper, because it's fun to say that. Vacuum seal the breasts in a bag side by side and cook sous vide for 90 minutes.
Mix the pomegranate juice, brandy, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Reduce to 1/4 cup sauce, which takes about 30 minutes.
Remove duck from the bag and pat dry as needed. Heat oil in a skillet and sear the duck over medium heat, skin side down, for about 3-4 minutes. Remove and slice.
Serve several slices over a smear of pesto and drizzle with pomegranate sauce.
What worked: This was an easy and fabulous way to cook duck breasts. I omitted the pomegranate sauce and instead used a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, which was undoubtably not quite as good but a lot less work. It was a nice, rich, indulgent dinner.
What didn't: I could have made only one breast and still had leftovers.
Will I make it again? Sure.
Puntarelle alla Romana salad with Anchovy dressing
1 head fresh puntarelle (or other chicory)
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (Ha! I used... actually that amount.)
2 anchovy filets
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp olive oil
Wash and prep the puntarelle, then cut the stalk lengthwise into ribbons. Place in a bowl of ice water until they curl up, at least 30 minutes.
In a fud processor, combine the garlic, anchovies, and vinegar; pulse 4-5 times to combine. Start the machine and slowly drizzle in the oil until you get a thick and creamy emulsification. Season with red pepper, then pulse a few times to combine.
Drain and dry the puntarelle, then place in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss well.
What worked: This was a nice foil to the richness of the duck.
What didn't: I didn't want to dirty the fud processor, so I tried whisking it together in a small bowl. It didn't emulsify. I probably should have mashed the anchovy and garlic in a mortar, or just used anchovy paste to begin with (d'oh!). Eventually I gave up and just drizzled the dressing as was.
Will I make it again? Perhaps. It was good, and different. More work than a salad though.
Duck Breast with Pesto and Pomegranate
2 6-8 oz duck breasts, skin on
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 cup pomegranate juice
2 Tbsp brandy
1/6 cup sugar
2 Tbsp pesto (there are instructions to make it, but I keep habitually keep some in the freezer from basil season)
Heat a water bath to 135. Rub the breasts all over with salt and pepper, because it's fun to say that. Vacuum seal the breasts in a bag side by side and cook sous vide for 90 minutes.
Mix the pomegranate juice, brandy, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and lower to a simmer. Reduce to 1/4 cup sauce, which takes about 30 minutes.
Remove duck from the bag and pat dry as needed. Heat oil in a skillet and sear the duck over medium heat, skin side down, for about 3-4 minutes. Remove and slice.
Serve several slices over a smear of pesto and drizzle with pomegranate sauce.
What worked: This was an easy and fabulous way to cook duck breasts. I omitted the pomegranate sauce and instead used a drizzle of pomegranate molasses, which was undoubtably not quite as good but a lot less work. It was a nice, rich, indulgent dinner.
What didn't: I could have made only one breast and still had leftovers.
Will I make it again? Sure.
Puntarelle alla Romana salad with Anchovy dressing
1 head fresh puntarelle (or other chicory)
1 clove garlic, peeled and minced (Ha! I used... actually that amount.)
2 anchovy filets
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
pinch crushed red pepper flakes
2 Tbsp olive oil
Wash and prep the puntarelle, then cut the stalk lengthwise into ribbons. Place in a bowl of ice water until they curl up, at least 30 minutes.
In a fud processor, combine the garlic, anchovies, and vinegar; pulse 4-5 times to combine. Start the machine and slowly drizzle in the oil until you get a thick and creamy emulsification. Season with red pepper, then pulse a few times to combine.
Drain and dry the puntarelle, then place in a large bowl. Drizzle with the dressing and toss well.
What worked: This was a nice foil to the richness of the duck.
What didn't: I didn't want to dirty the fud processor, so I tried whisking it together in a small bowl. It didn't emulsify. I probably should have mashed the anchovy and garlic in a mortar, or just used anchovy paste to begin with (d'oh!). Eventually I gave up and just drizzled the dressing as was.
Will I make it again? Perhaps. It was good, and different. More work than a salad though.
