Pleasure Overload

Here’s this week’s Date Night menu:

Smoking Loon Cabernet Sauvignon

Duck Breasts with Mushrooms

Mashed Potatoes

Steamed Carrots

Fresh Organic Greens with Balsamic Honey Vinaigrette

Lindt Chili Chocolate

My bastardized duck recipe is based on the one in Paula Wolfert’s Cooking of South-West France.  The first time I ever cooked duck it was from this recipe, upon my friend Peter’s recommendation.  The original recipe is fairly complicated and time consuming, but my streamlined version is pretty close, and much easier for me.  I used to make this for The Daddy Monkey and I every Christmas.

Duck Breasts with Mushrooms

1 Tablespoon rendered duck fat, or a combination of butter and canola oil

2 duck breasts (Unfortunately, I always have to buy them frozen.)

1 pound sliced mushrooms (Any variety you like.  Shiitakes are especially exquisite with this.)

1 Tablespoon butter

1 Tablespoon minced shallot

1/2 cup red wine

1 1/2 cups chicken stock

1/3 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper

Place duck fat in a heavy skillet over medium high heat.  Salt and pepper both sides of duck and add to pan when it is hot.  Sear on both sides until a nice crust forms.  Turn heat to medium low and add mushrooms.  Cook, stirring the mushrooms occasionally, until they are nicely browned.  Remove duck when it is cooked to your liking, and let it rest on a cutting board.  Remove mushrooms when they are soft and brown.  Add butter to pan and bring heat up to medium high.  Add shallot and saute until soft.  Deglaze pan with wine and cook over high heat until the wine is syrupy.  Add chicken stock and simmer until sauce is reduced by about half and thickened.  Add cream and mushrooms and stir to combine and reheat.  Taste sauce and salt to taste.  Slice duck and serve with sauce over the top.

Our meal was so delicious this week that we both sat around for a half an hour afterward, too happy to move.  Well, the whole bottle of wine we consumed had something to do with it, too.

The meal was so heavy and rich that I couldn’t even think about making the Bananas Foster I had planned for dessert.  We were happy with a few squares of Chili Chocolate.