
by John Manikowski
The recommended cooking time for duck breasts is for medium-rare. You may add to or reduce the time, depending upon your preference. Many old-timers prefer their wild duck meat blood-rare. Serve with wild rice and a spinach salad with orange slices, apples and black olives.
Soak the dried mushrooms in sherry for about 30 minutes.
Crush pistachios with a mortar and pestle or grind in a small, clean coffee grinder until finely pulverized. Cut the figs into halves and flatten. with your thumb or the back of a spoon, firmly press the pistachios into the meaty part of the figs.
Heat the butter in a heavy, large skillet over medium-low heat and lay in the figs. Sauté the encrusted figs for only about 30 seconds on both sides until the nuts are browned. Remove quickly and set aside.
In the same pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Sauté the duck breasts 6-8 minutes, uncovered. Turn duck breasts over, add the morels with the sherry, brandy (if using) and stock. Simmer for 6-8 minutes. Turn off the heat, remove pan from stove and set the figs into the pan to warm.
Transfer the breasts to a wooden platter and slice thinly. Fan 1/2 breast per person over a mound of wild rice and divide the morels and figs equally among each plate. Scrape any remaining browned bits and juices from the pan onto the meat.
Serves 4.
A slightly tannic Bordeaux from Chateau Cheret-Pitres (from the Graves region) is a moderately priced red. Somewhat lean but some cherry flavors and a light earthiness makes this type of Bordeaux a good match with duck breast. I had the 1993 and this wine should hold up well enough through 1997-98.
Or:
The Chateau Larose-Trintaudon, an Haut Medoc would serve duck breast well. The 1990 would be a first choice but is nearly gone, however the 1993 or 1994 would also be fine.
This page modified November 2006

Return to the
Global Gourmet®
Main Page
Global Gourmet®
Shopping
Gourmet Food, Cookbooks
Kitchen Gadgets & Gifts
Kate's Global Kitchen
Kate's Books
Cookbook Profiles
Global Destinations
I Love Desserts
On Wine
Shopping
New Green Basics
Cooking with Kids
Archives
Conversions, Charts
& Substitutions
Forums/Message Boards
Search
About the
Global Gourmet®
Contact Info
Advertising
Feedback
Privacy Statement
Fish Forever
Local Breads
Asian Flavors (Jean-Georges)
Morimoto: Japanese Cooking
Chocolates & Confections
Julia Child
Cook with Jamie
The World Atlas of Wine
Food: The History of Taste
Cook Everything Vegetarian
All Cookbook Winners
Egg
My Bombay Kitchen
Revolutionary Chinese
A Baker's Odyssey
Great Bar Food at Home
Chez Jacques
Super Natural Cooking
Lidia's Italy
Geography of Oysters
Cheese Essentials
Vegetable Harvest
All Cookbook Nominees
Betty Crocker Why It Works
The Bon Appétit Cookbook
Joy of Cooking
Fifth Taste...Umami
The Professional Chef
New American Cooking
Vegetable Love
Copyright © 1994-2008,
Forkmedia LLC