If there's duck on the menu, I'm usually ordering it. It's always felt celebratory and a bit indulgent to dive into a perfectly rendered duck breast for dinner or a gently yielding confit leg with salad for lunch. But it wasn't until I spied some particularly plump looking local duck in the meat case at my favorite butcher, Beast and Cleaver, that it occurred to me to cook duck regularly at home. And we've been reaping the benefits of that realization ever since. Lest you find the idea of tossing this not-quite-chicken-not-quite-red-meat poultry into a frying pan a bit intimidating, let me assure you: cooking a duck breast is an approachable task that yields occasion-worthy results—the ideal culinary cost/benefit, if you ask me.
Ingredients
2 duck breasts
1/2 cup labneh
1 garlic clove
1 tsp white miso
½ lb chanterelle mushrooms
2 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
Lemon juice
Kosher salt
Fresh-cracked pepper
Marigolds
Chives
Directions
Score the duck breasts by cutting through the fat in diagonal lines about 1/2" apart. Then, score in overlapping lines to form a criss-cross pattern. Be careful not to cut through the actual flesh of the duck.
Salt the duck generously, then place it fat side down in a cold pan over medium-low heat with a meat press or small pan atop the breasts.
Cook undisturbed for 10 minutes. The duck fat should be gently bubbling.
While the duck cooks, grate the clove of garlic and whisk it together with the labneh, miso, a squeeze of lemon juice and a pinch of salt to taste.
Flip the duck and cook for 2 minutes more, or until the internal temperature reaches 130°F. Remove the duck from the heat and let it rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
Tear any large chanterelles into rustic pieces, then add them to the pan with half of the rendered duck fat. Stir to coat the mushrooms in fat, then let sit undisturbed until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Stir, then let sit for another 4 minutes.
Add the soy sauce to the pan and swirl vigorously to emulsify. Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of black pepper. Turn off the heat.
To plate, add a swipe of miso-labneh to the plate. Top with sliced duck breast and chanterelles. Garnish with finely chopped chives and a sprinkle of marigold petals.
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