Grilled Duck Breast Deluxe

LET’S GO

PREPARATION

1. Sous vide duck

   First, cook the duck breast sous vide style. This means, place the duck in a vacuum-sealed bag and cook it in water at 130°F for 2 ½ hours.
   For this recipe, we’ve chosen to use a traditional barbary duck breast. These are famous duck breasts known for their particularly tender and juicy meat. Otto thinks it is perfect for the combination of sous vide cooking and high temperature grilling on the Otto Grill for an even more delicate and tasty result.

   Without a Sous Vide Device

   If you don’t own a sous vide device, you can also prepare the duck breast in the oven. In this case, grill it on the Otto Grill first and then put it in a pre-heated oven at 320°F. If it weighs around 0.4 lbs., cook the duck for 8 to 10 minutes. If it weighs around 0.6 lbs., cook it for 12 to 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the sides

   While your duck breast is in it’s warm sous vide bath, just 15 minutes before it should be finished, you can start preparing the sides for your feast. Peel the carrots and steam them together with the sweet potatoes for about 15 minutes (or in the oven at 350°F – but if you are baking your duck breast, you can bake these at the same time and temperature!). Chop the parsley finely, cut the green beans on both ends and put it all aside until ready to cook.

3. Prepare the onion-chutney in port wine sauce

   While the carrots and potatoes are cooking: cut the onions into rings and sautée them in a pan with coconut oil. As soon as they release roast aromas, you can add 3 Tbsp. of brown sugar and let it caramelize or let them carmelize in its own sugars at the lowest temperature. Douse the caramelized onions generously with port wine and add prunes to the relish.
   The best option is a Tawney port wine because it has similar aromas as the fruit and nuts used int his recipe. For a Christmassy note, add a pinch of cinnamon, cardamom and nutmeg. Let the mass stew at a moderate temperature and season it with salt and pepper. Once the chutney has reached the desired consistency, cover it and take it off the stove.

4. How to serve menu on point

   Want everything to be served on point, warm and all at once? Otto has a few pointers for you on how to serve this dish perfectly on time:
   
   1. Preheat the plates
   Preheat them just before serving to keep the dish warm upon the table.
   
   2. Preheat the Otto Grill
   Preheating the Otto Grill is crucial, but make sure to preheat it at the highest temperature for three minutes and without the grill grate. It is more efficient if you preheat the grill while you’re preparing the vegetables and the relish.
   
   3. Cook the green beans firm
   Cook the green beans firmer than the consistency you want before grilling. We say, cook “firm to bite.” Then, cool them down with cold water before putting them on the grill. Meanwhile, peel the sweet potatoes and mash them together with the carrots.
   
   4. Now grill the duck breast!

GRILLING

1. Take the duck breast out of the water bath and get rid of the vacuum bag. Cut the skin crosswise — not only because it looks nice but also to release heat from the inside and ensure a consistent grill. Afterwards, place the duck breast on the cool grill grate and then put it all together into the Otto Grill. Set the Meat-O-Meter to stage 5 and grill it on the lowest temperature stage. A really crispy crust will form on the duck within a few seconds while the meat stays pink and tender on the inside. Take the crispy duck off the grill after two minutes.

SERVING

1. Serve your supper

   Sprinkle the mashed sweet potatoes and carrots with parsley and serve it together with the beans on the preheated plates. Carve the grilled duck breast across the grain, salt it a little and arrange the slices in a row. Add the onion port wine chutney and serve it all together straight away. You can lean back now and enjoy the astonished looks on your guest’s faces!

2. Otto’s Choice: beverage pairing with grilled duck breast

   Of course, a Tawney port wine is a good choice as an aperitif because it gets you in the mood for the relish. Along with the grilled duck, Otto recommends a full-bodied red wine with a fine tannic structure like a good quality Cabernet Sauvignon. If you’d rather highlight the fruit aromas of the chutney, choose a nice Pinot Noir. For the digestif you may pick whatever you like more: if you want to stick to grapes, take a grape marc like grappa, but a nice fruit brandy like plum liquor will round up your feast as well. Cheers!