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Chef Dean Fearing
Executive Chef, The Mansion on Turtle Creek
Dallas, TX

Roast Duck with Sweet Potato-Pear Purée
and Cranberry-Texas Cabernet
Sauvignon Sauce
Adapted from Dean Fearing

Yield: 4 servings

Roast Duck

Two 5-pound ducks
2 teaspoons orange rind, cut into long strings and blanched
2 1/2 teaspoons chives, cut into 1-inch pieces
Duck Demi-Glace (see recipe)
Sweet Potato-Pear Purée (see recipe)
Cranberry-Texas Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce (see recipe)
1/4 cup Poached Cranberries (see recipe)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Rinse ducks, inside and out, then pat dry. With a boning knife, remove legs on each duck and
reserve them for another use. Remove each duck breast from carcass leaving the skin on the
meat. You will have 4 individual duck breasts. Reserve carcasses for Duck Demi-Glace.

Season each breast with salt and pepper. Heat a large saucepan over medium heat and lay
breasts, skin side down, in pan. Cook for 10 minutes, not turning breasts, until nicely browned.
The breasts will render their own fat as the meat cooks, leaving the skin crisp. Do not allow
skin to blacken or burn. Turn and cook for 4 minutes. Remove from pan and keep warm.

Spoon a small mound of Sweet Potato-Pear Purée in the center of each of four hot dinner plates.
With a sharp slicing knife, very thinly slice each duck breast on the bias. Place a sliced duck breast
around the purée, fanning out the breast. Spoon 3 tablespoons of Cranberry-Texas Cabernet
Sauvignon Sauce in front of each breast. Garnish top of sauce with Poached Cranberries, blanched
orange rind and chives. Serve immediately.

Sweet Potato-Pear Purée

2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 pound ripe pears, peeled, cored, and cut into large chunks
2 cinnamon sticks
1/2 Tablespoon fresh ginger, finely grated
2 cups apple juice
Fresh lemon juice to taste
Salt to taste

Place potatoes, covered with water, in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Lower
heat and simmer about 30 minutes or until soft. Drain potatoes. In a food processor fitted with a
metal blade, purée until smooth.

Combine remaining ingredients in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil. Lower heat
and simmer for 15 minutes or until pears are soft and all liquid has evaporated. Remove cinnamon
sticks and add mixture to sweet potato purée, blending until smooth and well combined. Adjust
seasoning, and keep warm until ready to use.

Cranberry-Texas Cabernet Sauvignon Sauce

1/2 bottle Cabernet Sauvignon
2 cups fresh cranberries
1 teaspoon fresh ginger, grated
Juice of 1 orange
2 1/2 shallots, peeled and chopped
1 serrano chile, finely chopped
1 large dried ancho chile, seeded
1 cup Demi-Glace (see recipe)
Salt to taste

Combine wine, cranberries, ginger, juice, shallots and chiles in a medium saucepan over medium
heat. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and simmer for 15 minutes. Add Duck Demi-Glace and cook for
an additional 10 minutes or until sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season with
salt and lemon juice.

Duck Demi-Glace

Yield: 1-1 1/2 cups

1 Tablespoon peanut oil
2 uncooked duck carcasses, excess fat removed with a knife, chopped into small pieces
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
2 teaspoons cracked black pepper
2 shallots, chopped
3 large white mushrooms, cleaned and thinly sliced
1 small bunch fresh thyme
1 cup veal demi-glace (Available at gourmet markets and specialty stores)
2 cups chicken stock, homemade or low-sodium canned

Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. When hot, add bones and brown evenly for
15 minutes, stirring every 2 minutes to prevent burning. Add onion, carrot and celery and brown
evenly for 10 minutes. Continue stirring constantly. Add pepper, shallots and mushrooms and
sauté for 2 minutes. Add thyme, demi-glace, and chicken stock. Bring to a boil. Lower heat
and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour, making sure to reduce liquid slowly by half. Strain through
a fine sieve and refrigerate until ready to use.

Poached Cranberries

1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 Tablespoons sugar, or to taste
1/4 cup fresh cranberries

Combine water, orange juice and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil.
Add cranberries and return to a boil. Simmer for 3 minutes or until the first cranberry pops and
splits open. Remove from heat and let cranberries marinate in the mixture for another 3 minutes.
Strain and place on a chilled plate until ready to use.

Wine suggestion
Cabernet Sauvignon

Click here for Cheese Expert Steven Jenkins' Cheese Recommendations


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