Duck Breast with Asparagus and Forest Mushroom
Duck is one of my favorite poultry. Some years ago, we took an unforgettable round trip in Provence, France. They served great food in the smallest villages as well, different variety of super delicious duck food. Each part can have a specific destination in traditional cooking, the neck is being used for example in soup. Duck confit is considered one of the most delicious French dishes. You can find duck confit recipe on our site, but this time I made duck breast with two side dishes, asparagus with Hollandaise (or Dutch) sauce and forest mushrooms in Port sauce.
Hollandaise is one of the 5 basic sauces in the French cuisine and it is often served with steamed vegetables, it is so delicious with steamed white asparagus without any meat. It’s very easy-to-make sauce, you only need to pay attention to not make scrambled eggs from the egg yolks during the process, because you will not get nice creamy and silky sauce. You can make Hollandaise sauce ahead, you’ll just have to warm it up a bit before serving. I propose to use special steamer pot for asparagus because they will not break. Never cook asparagus in water, except if you want to make a soup. (You can fine the asparagus cream soup here.)
Forest mushroom in port sauce is a very good combination, this sweet wine with fresh herbs gives a really delicious flavor. When you are following the instructions of the recipe, have to know all cooking time depends on the size, thickness and temperature of the meat, always keep this in mind! Cooked duck breast could be rare, medium, well done like steak, according to your choice. I like it if is pink inside.
Duck Breast with Asparagus and Forest Mushroom
Equipment
- Asparagus pan
Ingredients
Main dish
- 2 duck breasts 220-240 gram each with skin on
- 300 gram green asparagus
- 200 gram forest mushroom mix sliced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 100 ml Tawny Port
- 1 sprig fresh rosemary
- 1 sprig fresh thyme
- salt and pepper
Hollandaise sauce
- 2 egg yolks
- 100 gram butter
- 1 tbsp lemon juice freshly squeezed
- salt and pepper
Instructions
- Take the breasts out from the fridge 30 minutes before cooking to get to room temperature.
- Make Hollandaise first. Melt butter in a small pan on low heat. Do not browned it!
- Put egg yolks and lemon juice into a stainless-steel bowl and put it over a pan of simmering water (Bain Marie). The water should not touch the bottom of the bowl. Whisk the mixture rapidly for 2 minutes, until is thickened. Be careful, do not over heat, you will end up with scrambled eggs!
- Slowly drizzle in the melted butter and whisk continuously and vigorously for 3-4 minutes, until the sauce is thickened.
- Remove from the heat and whisk in salt and pepper according to taste.
- Cover and keep it warm until it’s time to serve.
- Put 1 tbsp butter in a pan, melt it on medium heat and when it is sizzling add port and rosemary and thyme.
- Whisk it and when the port mixture halved, add sliced mushroom, season it with salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes until mushroom is softer but not too soft.
- Cover it and keep it warm until serve.
- You can steam asparagus and cook duck breast at same time.
- Put 100 ml water into the bottom of steamer pot and put asparagus into the pot’s basket. Cover and steam them for 8 minutes until asparagus is soft but still crunchy. Do not overcook them!
- Duck breast is next. Score the skin (but not the meat) in a cross-hatch pattern, this helps the fat render and the skin will be crispier. Season them with a bit of salt and pepper.
- Heat up a frying pan on medium high heat. When it is hot, lay the breasts skin side down. I do not use extra fat if the skin is fatty enough. Where the skin does not contact with the pan, I push it down with a tongue. I cook it for 3 minutes, until skin is golden brown.
- Turn the breast and cook the other side for 3 minutes.
- Take duck off the heat and let it rest on a cutting board, skin side up, until you prepare the plates.
- Place asparagus on plates, pour Hollandaise sauce over them.
- Put mushroom in port sauce on plates.
- Slice duck breast and place on plates. Ready to serve.