Maple-Roasted Duck with Herbed Farro Salad and Cherry Compote

Serves 4

Secret Ingredient: Duck

In this recipe from Julie Taras of Little Giant in New York City, spice-rubbed duck is roasted with maple sugar and syrup in this spicy-sweet dish. Herbed farro salad and cherry compote provide perfect complementary flavors for a dish that will please everyone at the table. To learn how to make this recipe, watch the Secret Ingredient cooking show.

Ingredients

Cherry Compote
2 tablespoons butter
1 shallot, finely chopped
1 pound frozen cherries, pitted and halved
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Juice of 2 limes
Juice of 1 lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
1 stick cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 star anise
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and halved lengthwise

Herbed Farro Salad
Salt and pepper to taste
2 cups uncooked farro
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely chopped green onions
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons finely chopped chives
3 tablespoons dried cherries, finely chopped
1 small shallot, finely chopped
1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Handful arugula or baby spinach

Maple-Roasted Duck
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
1/4 teaspoon ground fennel seeds
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
Salt and pepper
4 skin-on duck breast halves
1/4 cup maple syrup
2 tablespoons maple sugar
2 tablespoons butter

Method

For the cherry compote, melt butter in a large skillet over medium low heat. Add shallots and cook until tender and fragrant. Stir in cherries, 3/4 cup water, sugar, vinegar, lime juice, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Fill a spice sachet or a piece of cheesecloth with cinnamon stick, peppercorns, star anise, fennel seeds and ginger, secure with kitchen twine and add this to the cherry mixture. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until syrupy and cherries are soft. Remove and discard spice sachet and season with salt and pepper. Set compote aside.

For the farro salad, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Stir in farro and cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to large bowl. Toss with oil, salt and pepper. Add green onions, pine nuts, chives, cherries and shallots and toss to combine. Stir in vinegar and lemon juice. Finally, add arugula and toss to combine while farro is still warm. Set salad aside.

For the duck, preheat the oven to 400°F. Combine cinnamon, coriander, fennel seeds, nutmeg, and pepper in a small bowl. Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern, then rub cinnamon mixture into skin of each duck breast. Season all over with salt and pepper and set aside.

Heat a dry ovenproof heavy skillet over medium high heat until hot but not smoking. Add duck in a single layer, skin-side down. (Cook duck in batches or use a second skillet, if needed, so as not to crowd the pan.) Cook duck, uncovered, over low to medium heat, without turning, until most of the fat is rendered and the skin is golden brown. Spoon off and discard all but 4 tablespoons fat from the skillet, then add maple syrup, maple sugar and butter. Stir to melt the butter and combine the syrup and sugar, taking care not to scorch the sugar. Baste duck breasts well, then carefully flip them so that they are all skin-side up. Transfer to oven and roast until medium rare, 8 to 10 minutes. Baste with pan juices, then transfer duck to a rack and set aside to let rest for 10 minutes.

Thinly slice duck breasts on the bias and serve with farro salad and cherry compote. Drizzle with pan juices, if you like.

Nutrition

Per serving (Cherry Compote): 230 calories (60 from fat), 6g total fat, 3.5g saturated fat, 15mg cholesterol, 360mg sodium, 45g total carbohydrate (2g dietary fiber, 39g sugar), 1g protein Per serving (Herbed Farro Salad): 500 calories (190 from fat), 22g total fat, 3g saturated fat, 0mg cholesterol, 310mg sodium, 69g total carbohydrate (11g dietary fiber, 10g sugar), 15g protein Per serving (Maple-Roasted Duck): 360 calories (170 from fat), 19g total fat, 7g saturated fat, 180mg cholesterol, 400mg sodium, 18g total carbohydrate (0g dietary fiber, 16g sugar), 30g protein

http://wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/1074