Duck Breast Tacos With Plum Salsa Recipes

DUCK BREAST WITH PLUM SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
• In a small saucepot, combine the honey, red wine vinegar, and chile de arbol. Heat over medium heat. Allow to reduce for 10 minutes. When the consistency is thick and coats the back of a spoon, remove from heat and set aside to cool.
• Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the plum, red onion, yellow tomato, scallion, cilantro, lime juice, olive oil, and reserved vinegar and honey reduction. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
• In a skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. Season duck breast with salt and pepper on both sides, and sear, skin side down, for 3 minutes. Place duck breast in the oven, with skin side down, for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to sit on a cutting board for 3 minutes. Then slice breast in 1/4-inch slices. Fan out on a plate and serve with plum salsa on top.

PORK TACOS WITH PLUM SALSA

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Mix the lime zest and cumin in a small bowl. Rub the pork all over with 1 tablespoon olive oil, then coat with the cumin mixture. Season generously with salt and pepper. Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Add the pork and cook, turning, until browned on all sides, about 5 minutes. Transfer the skillet to the oven and roast until a thermometer inserted into the center of the pork registers 145 degrees F, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove the pork to a cutting board and let rest.
• Meanwhile, chop the tomato, plums, cilantro and jalapeno (remove seeds for less heat). Transfer to a bowl and toss with the lime juice and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Set aside, tossing occasionally, until ready to serve.
• Warm the tortillas as the label directs. Thinly slice the pork; divide among the tortillas and top with the avocado, plum salsa, cheese and more cilantro.

DUCK BREAST TACOS WITH PLUM SALSA

Steps:

• Using a spice grinder (such as a coffee grinder reserved for spices), grind the star anise, dried oregano, and Szechuan peppercorns to a fine powder. Dump into a small bowl and stir in the ground ancho, salt, and cinnamon.
• Pat dry the duck breasts with a paper towel. Use a sharp knife to cut through just the skin and fat, without piercing the meat, in 1-inch intervals, then repeat the cuts at a 90° angle to make a crosshatch pattern all across the skin. Sprinkle the spice mixture all over the duck breasts. Pack in heavy-duty resealable plastic bags, squeezing as much air out as possible, and refrigerate for several hours or as long as 24 hours.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F.
• In a small roasting pan lined with aluminum foil, roast the duck breasts skin side up for 10 minutes. Increase the heat to 550°F and turn the breasts skin side down. Roast until much of the fat has rendered and the skin is browned and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer to a plate, pour off the extra duck fat from the pan and reserve for another use. Let the duck breasts rest for at least 10 minutes. (If desired, wrap one of the duck breasts in plastic wrap and refrigerate it for up to 1 week for a later meal.)
• Warm the tortillas (see page 85) and wrap them in aluminum foil to keep warm.
• Meanwhile, make the salsa. Finely chop the jalapeño. In a small mixing bowl, combine the jalapeño with the plum, shallot, cilantro, mint, lime juice, oil, and a generous sprinkling of salt. Taste, add more salt if necessary; if you want more heat, add some of the reserved jalapeño seeds.
• Lay the tortillas out on a plate. Cut the duck breast crosswise into 1/2-inch slices, place a couple of slices on each tortilla, top each with the plum salsa, and eat.

CRISPY FRAGRANT DUCK TACOS WITH ASIAN PEAR AND MANGO SALSA

Steps:

• For the duck marinade: In a medium bowl, add the ginger, peppercorns, rice wine, dark and light soy sauce, sea salt and star anise and stir to combine. Add the duck, cover with plastic wrap and leave to marinate for 30 minutes or as long as overnight in the refrigerator.
• For the salsa: While the duck marinates, combine the cilantro, ginger, chile, grapefruit, lime juice and zest, pears, mangos, onions and chile flakes in a medium bowl. Toss to combine and season with sea salt. Set aside in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
• Heat a wok or pan over high heat and add the vegetable oil. Place the duck into the wok, skin-side down, and fry until the skin is brown and crisp, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip the breasts and reduce the heat to medium. Cover and cook for 4 minutes.
• Remove the duck and let rest for 5 minutes. Chop the duck into bite-size pieces, then dust the pieces in the cornstarch and coat well.
• Heat a wok or pan over high heat and fill to a quarter of its depth with peanut oil. Heat the oil to 350 degrees F, or until a cube of bread turns golden brown in 15 seconds and floats to the surface. Ensure that your wok is stable before deep-frying.
• Place the duck pieces in a spider/scoop, carefully lower into the oil and fry until crispy and golden brown. Remove from the pan and drain on paper towels.
• To serve, spoon some crispy duck onto a tortilla and top with some Asian pear salsa. Serve with small bowls of cilantro, flaked sea salt and dried chile flakes so guests can season their own and help themselves.