My husband and I first met on 9/9/99. It was raining, and he found an old umbrella in his car to share with me. I wondered why the umbrella had holes in it, but then he put his arms around me, and at that moment I knew that he was the one. Today, on 9/9/09, we celebrated our 10th anniversary!
For our special dinner tonight, I chose 9 ingredients - duck, celery root, apple, onion, butter, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, salt and nutmeg - to make Maple-Cayenne Glazed Duck Breasts with Celery Root and Apple Puree. This fall-inspired preparation of duck with maple syrup and cayenne features a flavorful combination of sweet and spicy, complimented by the tartness of celery root and apple puree.
celery root
Ingredients: (4 servings)
1 celery root, peeled, cut up in chunks
1 apple, peeled, cut up in chunks
1/2 onion, chopped
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
7 tablespoons butter (or butter substitute such as Smart Balance)
Salt to taste
4 small duck breasts (Maple Leaf Farms Boneless Duck Breast)
1/2 cup Maple Syrup
1 teaspoon Cayenne pepper (more or less depending on your spice tolerance)
Directions:
Place celery root in a pot, cover with water, bring to boil and season with salt. Cook on medium heat until celery root is tender, about 20-25 minutes.
Meanwhile, melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet. Add onions and saute for about two minutes, then add apples and cook until the apples are beginning to soften, for about five minutes.
Drain celery root and place it along with apple and onion mixture in a food processor. Add 4 tablespoons of melted butter. Mix until the puree is smooth.
Pre-heat the oven to 400°F. Season duck breasts with salt. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter in a large ovenproof skillet. Place the duck breasts skin down and sear until the skins turn golden brown. Turn over and cook for another two minutes.
Meanwhile, combine maple syrup and cayenne pepper, and warm the mixture up (in a skillet or microwave). Taste and add more cayenne pepper if necessary, to reach a desired level of spiciness. Pour half of the maple-cayenne mixture over the duck breasts. Place the skillet in the oven and roast the duck breasts for about 10 minutes for medium-rare.
Let the duck breasts rest for 5 minutes, then slice, diagonally on a bias. Serve on top celery root and apple puree and pour the rest of the maple-cayenne glaze all over.
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I would like to bring your attention to three of the nine ingredients that I used in this dish: apples, cayenne, and maple syrup. As a winner of last month's Royal Foodie Joust, I had the privilege of selecting these three fall-inspired ingredients for this month's competition. Don't forget to participate and submit your dish at the Leftover Queen Forum<! I am looking forward to seeing what everyone will come up with! I would also like to thank Sophie at Sophie's Foodiefiles for this beautiful award.
