Duck breast with asparagus and beurre blanc

Since arriving in France I have had duck already about half a dozen times. I absolutely love it. Whether it be confit duck, terrine of duck, duck pate or duck breast, I'll have it however I can! My kids have also grown a love for it since being here so we decided to cook it up at home simply. Served with some white asparagus that we bought from the producers market on Wednesday night in our local village and a traditional French sauce - a beurre blanc.

Magret de canard aux asperges blanche, grillées pommes de terre et les carottes avec buerre blanc

Ingredients:

400 g potatoes
50g duck fat
Salt and pepper to taste

Duck breast - I used 2 breasts to feed the four of us but they were big ones - go for about 150-180g per person
Salt and pepper to taste

300 g carrots
300 g white asparagus

Method:

Potatoes

1. Peel and chop potatoes for roasting
2. Place in roasting tray with duck fat, season with salt and pepper and cook in oven till browned and crispy - about 60 mins

Duck

1. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper
2. Place skin side down in a cold frying pan
3. Bring pan to medium-high heat - this will render the fat from the duck and make for a juicier and tastier breast
4. Cook for about 5-8 minutes, till skin is browned and crispy and the fat is rendered
5. Turn over and turn heat down to medium to continue to cook till breast is cooked medium rare - about another 10 minutes depending on size of breasts (this can also be done in the oven but we only have a little oven and our potatoes were in there!)
6. Make sure you don't overcook the duck and that you cover with foil and allow to rest for about 10 minutes before serving, this relaxes the meat and draws all the yummy juices back into it

Vegies

1. Prepare carrots by peeling them and then cutting in quarters lengthwise so they are about the same size as the asparagus (allowing for even cooking)
2. Prepare asparagus by snapping off the stalky ends 
3. Place in a large pot of boiling water, bring water back to boil and remove veg once slightly tender - please don't over cook them!

Buerre Blanc

Ingredients:

60ml white wine vinegar

60ml dry white wine

1 or 2 eschallots

4 peppercorns

250g butter (cubed and chilled)

juice from one lemon (to taste)

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

1. Combine vinegar and wine in a saucepan
2. Add finely diced eschallots and peppercorns
3. Bring to the boil, then simmer for about 5 mins till liquid is slightly reduced 
4. Strain this mixture then return it to the saucepan
5. Remove butter from the fridge at the last minute
6. Add one cube of butter at a time whisking constantly until butter cube is melted and fully incorporated before adding the next. Don't rush this step, it feels like its taking forever but if you add the butter too quickly your sauce will split and you will have to start again - just be patient - it will take a good 10 mins to complete this step - but its worth it
7. Once all of the butter is incorporated, taste the sauce and add the lemon juice and salt and pepper to taste.

To serve:

Slice the duck breast up, serve alongside the potatoes.
Pour some of the buerre blanc over the top of the vegies and put the rest of it in a jug alongside so you can add more as you eat...delicious!!! 

Enjoy!!

xo