This month's International Incident Party features salt as a thematic ingredient. Whenever I think of salt as a highlight in fine cuisine, I think back to the outstanding dinner we had at the 5-star rated The Dining Room at Woodlands. On that occasion we enjoyed the fortunate pleasure of dining at the Chef's table, situated in the kitchen with a fine view of cooking expertise on display.
Uniquely, our dinner began with a presentation of salts by Chef Tarver King, who led the kitchen at that time. Chef King brought about 15 different salts to our table for use throughout our meal, and as he personally presented each dish at our table, he highlighted a different salt as a recommended compliment to each of the 14 dishes to come in our tasting menu that evening. These salts included a rare "Jurassic" salt, Kahlua (a Hawaiian black sea salt that gets its color from lava), and several special Fleur de Sels. With each dish that was to come we were to try different salts to experience different textures and flavors. That was definitely a special part of our culinary adventure. Every one of the 14 courses we had that night was incredible, but especially memorable was the Smoked Maple Leaf Duckling served with Chanterelle mushrooms over polenta.
The dish that I share today is inspired by that smoked duckling at the The Dining Room at Woodlands. Since I don't have a smoker, I prepared my duck differently, marinating it first in an apple cider mixture, coating it in Old Hickory Smoked Salt, and finally slow roasting it in the oven on the cedar plank in foil. The duck is succulent and very flavorful when prepared this way.
I was fortunate to receive a sample of fresh wild black trumpet mushrooms from MarxFoods, and I simply sauteed those in butter to add to the dish. The black trumpet mushrooms paired nicely with both the duck and soft buttery polenta.
Another element on the plate was the Sun-Dried Tomato Jus, prepared with Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes with Zesty Peppers that I received from Mooney Farms. Sweet, tart, and a little spicy, the sun-dried tomato jus added the perfect finish, highlighting the sweet, salty, and smoky flavors of the duck.
Ingredients:
duck
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast Fillets
Old Hickory Smoked Salt
mushrooms
2 cups fresh black trumpet mushrooms (from MarxFoods)
2-3 tablespoons butter
Salt, pepper to taste
sun-dried tomato jus
1/2 cup Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes (with Zesty Peppers, julienne-cut, from Mooney Farms)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 cup brandy
1 cup chicken stock
Polenta, cooked soft, with generous amount of butter, salt to taste
Directions:
duck
Combine apple cider, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic clove, ginger, salt, and pepper together. Place the duck breast filets in a plastic bag, pour the marinade over, and seal tightly. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.
Remove from marinade and coat generously with Old Hickory Smoked Salt. Wrap each duck breast in foil and refrigerate for a few hours, before ready to cook.
Pre-heat the oven to 250°F. Place the duck in foil on a cedar plank and put in the oven. Cook for about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let the duck rest for a few minutes before opening the foil.
Before serving, heat a little oil in a skillet or a wok until very hot, and sear the duck breasts quickly on the skin side only, to get the crispy skin.
mushrooms
Clean mushrooms thoroughly and pat dry. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté mushrooms 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
sun-dried tomato jus
In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, honey, champagne vinegar, and brandy. Mix into a paste. Pour into a small pot along with chicken stock and mix well. Bring to boil, then simmer until the sauce thickens a little, stirring occasionally. Mix in the food processor again until smooth and strain through a very fine mesh sieve.
to assemble
Slice the duck breasts thinly. Arrange the duck slices over polenta, alternating with layers of black trumpet mushrooms. Pour a thin layer of sun-dried tomato jus around the plate.
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Please check out what everyone else brought to the party and happy birthday wishes to all November babies!
