Sous Vide Wild Duck Breast with Smoky Baba Ganoush and Chimichurri

Name: Sous Vide Wild Duck Breast with Smoky Baba Ganoush and Chimichurri
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 2 h
Total time: 2 h 30 min
Yield: 4 main portions
Cuisine: Argentinian
Ingredients: 4 unit Duck breasts mallard, trimmed; Salt to taste; Ground black pepper freshly ground, to taste; 15 ml Olive oil 1 tablespoon, for searing; 2 unit Eggplant medium, about 750 g total; 45 ml Tahini 3 tablespoons; 2 unit Garlic clove or to taste; 45 ml Lemon juice 3 tablespoons, to adjust at the end; 5 ml Smoked paprika 1 teaspoon; 80 ml Plain Greek yogurt 1/3 cup, to loosen into a cream; Salt to taste; Olive oil to finish; 60 g Fresh flat-leaf parsley finely chopped, about 1 packed cup; Lovage optional, replacing about a third of the parsley, or another green boreal herb; 4 unit Garlic clove finely chopped; 15 ml Dried oregano 1 tablespoon, or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano; 5 ml Red pepper flakes 1 teaspoon, or to taste; 60 ml Red wine vinegar 1/4 cup; 120 ml Olive oil 1/2 cup; 5 ml Salt 1 teaspoon; 1 unit Onion large, thick sliced; 1 unit Red bell pepper in strips; 1 unit Whole garlic head for roasting; Olive oil for grilling; Salt to taste; Birch syrup optional, to lacquer at the end with a little olive oil

Three kitchens on one plate: Quebec wild duck, a smoky paprika eggplant cream, and a bright Argentine chimichurri.

Prep30 min

Cook2 h

Yield4 main portions

theuplandcook.com/en/recipes/sous-vide-wild-duck-chimichurri

Ingredients

For the duck

4 — Duck breasts (mallard, trimmed)
Salt (to taste)
Ground black pepper (freshly ground, to taste)
15 ml — Olive oil (1 tablespoon, for searing)

For the baba ganoush cream

2 — Eggplant (medium, about 750 g total)
45 ml — Tahini (3 tablespoons)
2 — Garlic clove (or to taste)
45 ml — Lemon juice (3 tablespoons, to adjust at the end)
5 ml — Smoked paprika (1 teaspoon)
80 ml — Plain Greek yogurt (1/3 cup, to loosen into a cream)
Salt (to taste)
Olive oil (to finish)

For the chimichurri

60 g — Fresh flat-leaf parsley (finely chopped, about 1 packed cup)
Lovage (optional, replacing about a third of the parsley, or another green boreal herb)
4 — Garlic clove (finely chopped)
15 ml — Dried oregano (1 tablespoon, or 2 tablespoons fresh oregano)
5 ml — Red pepper flakes (1 teaspoon, or to taste)
60 ml — Red wine vinegar (1/4 cup)
120 ml — Olive oil (1/2 cup)
5 ml — Salt (1 teaspoon)

For the grilled vegetables

1 — Onion (large, thick sliced)
1 — Red bell pepper (in strips)
1 — Whole garlic head (for roasting)
Olive oil (for grilling)
Salt (to taste)
Birch syrup (optional, to lacquer at the end with a little olive oil)

Steps

01Make the chimichurri
Combine the parsley, garlic, oregano and red pepper flakes in a bowl. Add the red wine vinegar and salt, then stream in the olive oil. Stir without pureeing: the texture should stay chopped. Let stand at least 30 minutes at room temperature so the flavors come together. Optional: swap about a third of the parsley for lovage, or another green boreal herb, for a more local accent. Lovage is strong, so use a light hand.
02Make the baba ganoush cream
Char the whole eggplants on the grill or under the broiler, turning them, until the skin is blackened and the flesh has fully collapsed. This char is what gives the smoky flavor. Let cool slightly, scoop out the flesh and drain it for a few minutes. In a food processor, blend the flesh with the tahini, garlic, lemon juice, smoked paprika and salt. Loosen with the Greek yogurt to a spoonable cream. Taste, then adjust the lemon and salt. Set aside.
03Start the water bath
Preheat the water bath to 131°F (55°C). Season the breasts with salt and pepper, vacuum seal them, then submerge for 1.5 to 2 hours depending on thickness. At 131°F, the center stays an even rosy medium, with no overcooking. This also works with wild goose, same bath temperature, lengthening the time for thickness.
04Grill the vegetables
While the duck cooks, grill the onion, bell pepper and garlic head with a drizzle of olive oil and salt, until tender and well marked by the grates. Optional: in the last minutes, brush the vegetables with a mix of olive oil and birch syrup to lacquer them and push the caramelization. Birch syrup burns fast, so lacquer over residual heat, not direct flame. Keep warm.
05Sear the duck
Take the breasts out of the bag and pat them thoroughly dry: a dry surface sears better. On a screaming hot grill, sear the breasts 30 to 60 seconds per side, just to build an amber crust. Work fast, the sear should only color: residual heat would otherwise push the duck past medium.
06Slice and plate
Rest the breasts for 5 minutes. Slice against the grain, on the bias. Spread the baba ganoush cream on the plate, lay down the sliced duck, add the grilled vegetables, then finish with a generous spoonful of chimichurri.

Sliced rosy wild duck breast topped with chimichurri, over baba ganoush cream with grilled vegetables