Duck breast with Vestfold Squash Purée

Ingredients for 4 servings

• 2 trimmed duck breasts weighing 500 g each
• 1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
• Fine sea salt
• Pepper

Squash

• 200 g Hokkaido squash
• 500 ml water
• The zest of a quarter of an orange
• 50 ml orange juice
• 50 g butter
• Salt

Sauce

1 thinly sliced shallot

• 200 ml Valpolicella red wine
• 100 ml Pedro Ximénes sherry
• 2 tablespoons golden treacle
• 50 ml red wine vinegar 
• 4 crushed black peppercorns
• 400 ml brown duck stock
• 200 ml veal stock
• Lemon
• Salt

Duck

Make fine incisions on the duck skin as regularly as possible. Cook the duck breasts on the skin side for one to two minutes to colour the skin and make it crispy. Quickly turn the duck breasts over and place them in an oven dish. Season with salt and pepper. Cook in the oven at 180 °C for seven to nine minutes. Take out of the oven and allow to rest for five minutes.

Squash

Peel the squash and cut it into cubes. Cook in boiling water with the orange zest and juice. When the squash is soft, drain it and blend it with the butter. Add salt to taste.

Sauce

Reduce the red wine, sherry, treacle, shallot, vinegar and peppercorns to obtain 100 ml of liquid. Combine the duck and veal stocks and reduce to 300 ml. Mix everything and reduce to 300 ml. Adjust with salt and lemon juice.

Slice the duck breasts. Assemble on the plates. This dish may be accompanied by other seasonal vegetables.