Budapest Duck Breast
Duck is popular and on the menu of many restaurants in Budapest. One presentation I noticed frequently is thinly sliced, medium rare duck breast with a wine reduction sauce. The characters in the Cooking Class in Budapest order duck this way the first night out at Macesz Bistro and again at Gundel Restaurant. At lunch creative salads with a variety of greens, vegetables and fruits feature slices of duck breast too. It is excellent hot or cold and easy to prepare. Nothing needs to be measured exactly. The cooking time however needs to be watched carefully as the meat will become tough if overcooked. If you don’t enjoy any pink in the meat, choose another recipe where slow cooking produces tender meat.
Thyme, garlic, salt and pepper are the primary seasonings for the duck. Make a few crosshatch cuts through the fat, but not break into the meat, to help the fat render as it cooks and to snag the thyme and garlic in place. Let it sit on the counter an hour or so before cooking or up to 24 hours in the refrigerator. Remove the thyme and garlic before cooking as they will burn before the breast is properly browned. The wine reduction features shallots, tomato paste, stock and wine.
Start with the fat side down in a medium hot skillet and brown both sides of the breast. Cook the fat side six+ minutes to a rich brown color. Cook the other side 3+ minutes for medium rare which is 125-130 degrees F.
Sauté one sliced medium size shallot over medium heat in 1 tablespoon of butter or duck fat until translucent. Add 1 teaspoon of tomato paste, stir and cook about 2 minutes until dissolved into the shallot. Add about 1/2 cup of red wine you love. Reduce the sauce to about half as much. Add 1/4 cup of stock and simmer a few minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. After slicing the breast add any juices on the cutting board to the wine sauce. (Any stock or water will do. I happened to have duck stock on hand because of roasting a duck for the holidays.)
When the duck breast is cooked to your preference, let it rest a few minutes before slicing. Place the slices on a hot platter or plates. Pour a spoonful or two of the wine reduction sauce over the slices and serve. Potatoes cooked with duck fat are considered a good use of duck fat. I happened to have new potatoes that I cooked, cut in half and browned in the hot duck fat when the breast was done while I finished the sauce.
Cabbage is a Hungarian staple, typically fermented, but I sautéed some cabbage and kale quickly as a side dish because it was in the refrigerator. Any vegetable you like will work or serve a salad instead. Enjoy a glass of the red wine in the sauce with your meal. This pinot noir from the Willamette Valley was a great choice with the duck. I would also enjoy a Bordeaux blend or a Rioja. Any wine makes the food taste better!