Duck breast with honey and Recioto sauce on a bed of chicory
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 4 duck breasts
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp Giovanni Allegrini Recioto della Valpolicella Classico DOCG
- 1 head of chicory (catalogna)
- 1 knob of butter
- Coarse salt, to taste
- Spices: ground ginger, sweet paprika, nutmeg, black pepper
Preparation
1. The sauce
In a small saucepan, combine the honey and Recioto in equal parts. Cook gently over low heat until the sauce becomes thick and glossy, then set aside.
2. The chicory
Clean the chicory and cut it into pieces about 1.5 cm thick. Blanch in salted water for 3–4 minutes, then cool quickly in ice water. Just before serving, sauté briefly in a pan with a knob of butter and a pinch of salt.
3. The duck breast
Score the skin of the duck breasts with vertical cuts, being careful not to cut into the meat. Prepare a spice mix with ginger, sweet paprika, nutmeg, black pepper, and coarse salt, then rub it over the duck breasts.
In a well-heated cast iron pan, place the breasts skin-side down and cook for about 10 minutes, until the skin is golden and crisp. Flip them and cook for 1 more minute on the meat side.
4. Plating
Using a ring mold, place the chicory in the center of the plate. Thinly slice the duck and arrange it in layers on top of the vegetables. Finish with a few grains of coarse salt and a drizzle of the honey and Recioto sauce.
