We are starting to really love cooking duck over here!  It is definitely a very rich meat as well, so the combination of mashed potatoes and then a nice light watercress salad helped to at least “create” and illusion of well balanced.  The watercress salad is a nice addition with minimal dressing, to really help out any meal that has a heavy component to it, we will be using it for many meals to come!

Prep Time: 10 minutes    Total Time: 45 minutes   Serves: 2 people

Ingredients you need to cook this shit:

• 12 oz. Yukon Gold Potatoes
• 2 cloves Garlic
• 12 oz. Duck Breast
• 1/4 oz. Thyme
• 4 oz. Heirloom Grape Tomatoes
• 1 Lemon
• 1 Shallot
• 1/3 cup Milk
• 1 Chicken Demi-Glace
• 1 oz. Cranberry Jam
• 2 oz. Watercress
• 2 tsp Olive Oil
• 2 TBSP Butter

Directions you need to cook this shit:

1. Wash and dry all produce. Peel potatoes, then cut into 1/2 inch cubes. Mince garlic. Strip 1 tsp thyme leaves from stems and chop; discard stems. Halve tomatoes and lemon. Halve, peel, and mince shallot.  Make shallow slits in duck skin in a crosshatch pattern. Season with salt and pepper.
2. Add the duck to a large pan skin-side down and place over medium heat. Cook until fat is rendered and skin is crisp, 10-15 minutes. Flip and cook to desired doneness, 2-5 minutes more.
3. While duck cooks, place potatoes in a medium pot with a large pinch of salt and enough water to cover by 1 inch. Bring to a boil and cook until easily pierced by a knife, 10-12 minutes. Drain and return to pot.
4. Add garlic, butter and 1/3 cup of milk to pot with potatoes. Mash with a potato masher or fork until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. (Add more milk if you want a more creamy consistency).
5. Once duck is finished cooking, remove from pan and set aside to rest. Pour off all but 1 TBSP duck fat from pan, then return pan to medium heat. Add minced shallot and thyme leaves. Cook until shallot is softened, 3 minutes. Add demi-glace, cranberry jam and 1/4 cup water, stirring to break up the jam. Let simmer until syrupy, about 2 minutes. Stir in a squeeze of lemon. Season with pepper and more lemon (to taste).
6. Toss watercress and tomatoes with a squeeze of lemon and a large drizzle of olive oil in a medium bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Thinly slice duck crosswise. Divide potatoes and duck between plates, then drizzle with sauce. Serve with salad on the side.

Calories: 710