Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast
with Shaved Sunchokes and Tangerine Gastrique
Serves 4

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4 6-oz duck breasts
1 tsp grapeseed oil
1 lb Sunchokes (aka Jerusalem artichokes, Girasole), peeled, shaved thin on truffle slicer or mandoline
¼ c cream
¼ c duck stock
1 tsp chopped flat leaf parsley
1 tsp minced shallots
1 tsp minced garlic
¼ tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tsp honey
1 tsp Sherry vinegar
2 tangerines
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
salt and pepper to taste

With a sharp knife, peel one tangerine, cut out the segments, be careful not to use the pith, and juice the other tangerine, reserve both together for the sauce.

With a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck in a crisscross pattern. This will help it get nice and crispy and allow you to render through the fat.

Add grapeseed oil to a sauté pan over medium heat, cook duck breasts skin side down for 10 to 12 minutes, check frequently to make sure they are getting golden brown evenly. Flip over and cook the other side for about 4-7 minutes more. Remove duck breasts from pan and allow to rest before slicing. Reserve duck fat.

Add 1 tsp duck fat back into the pan and add shaved sunchokes, sauté for 2 – 3 minutes, add cream and duck stock, reduce, season with salt and pepper to taste, add parsley just before serving.

Add 1 tsp duck fat to a sauce pan, sweat garlic and shallots until translucent. Add thyme and honey and cook a couple of minutes until it starts to caramelize. Deglaze with sherry vinegar and tangerine juice and segments, reduce. Finish with butter, and season with salt and pepper to taste.

Slice rested duck breast, fan out over the sunchokes, and spoon sauce over the top, try to evenly distribute the orange segments over the duck.