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Seriously Simple: Duck Breast LeDomaine is my Spanish heaven

By Diane Rossen Worthington, Tribune Content Agency on

Hotel Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, www.ledomaine.es, a one-hour train ride or a two-hour drive from Madrid, is situated in the middle of the Spanish wine country area of Castilla y Leon. Hotel Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine, originally a 12th-century abbey, has been converted into a 5-star retreat with a world-class winery. Unique in its architecture and having been restored to resemble the past with modern amenities, this is a spot that features dreamy serenity mixed with exquisite food and wine. And it was just rated No. 1 hotel in Spain by TripAdvisor.

From the moment you drive up the pebbly road, it feels different. Each guest is treated personal attention; that is difficult to find in this day and age. In addition to beautiful accommodations, there is an outdoor pool that sits among the vineyards as well as an underground spa complete with an indoor pool and comfy sanctuary massage rooms. Before treatments you are asked to smell different wines so the masseuse can associate the fragrance with the perfect oil for your massage.

Everything is well thought out for the guests' pleasure. Whether it is a wine tasting across the road, a meal at a local restaurant that specializes in baby lamb, a visit to the city of Valladolid, or a walk around the property with binoculars to view the great variety of birds, Hotel Abadia Retuerta LeDomaine delivers on all fronts. And then there is the food.

The bread is reason enough to enjoy a meal here. I spent a morning with the chef and pastry chef in the kitchen, where we made their amazing crispy-crusted country bread along with brioche and a French toast made with brioche.

I didn't ever want to leave the kitchen!

The main dining room has been renovated but still resembles the abbey and even had an original mural on it from hundreds of years ago. Out of all the dishes I enjoyed, the duck breast was my favorite. It was cooked beautifully with crisp skin, yet still medium-rare, and I loved the sweet- slightly tart dried fruit sauce. And it's so easy to replicate. I'm still working on their crisp caramelized brioche fingers dessert, and will bring that to you soon. For now, enjoy my version of their duck breast. And by all means accompany it with a Spanish red wine.

The key to the duck's crisp skin is letting it dry out overnight in the refrigerator, so start this the day before you plan to serve it. Quick to put together and much less messy than roasting a whole duck, the breasts are a perfect main course for a small dinner party. You and your guests can gather in the kitchen as you cook them up. This recipe will serve four to six, depending upon how large the duck breasts are and how big your guests' appetites are. Try to find fresh duck breasts, because the frozen variety tend to become rubbery. Muscovy or Hudson Valley ducks are preferable.

Duck Breast LeDomaine Abadia Retuerta

Serves 4 to 6

4 boned duck breast halves, with the skin left on (3/4 to 1 pound each)

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

For the sauce:

3/4 cup dried apricots, cut into small pieces

1/2 cup golden raisins or dried cherries

3/4 cup Tawny port

3 medium shallots, minced

3/4 cup veal or duck stock

1 tablespoon lemon juice

 

1 1/2 tablespoons orange honey

1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the fennel salad:

1 fennel bulb, white part only, shredded

2 tablespoons lemon juice

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and black pepper

1 tablespoon finely chopped chives

1. Pound the duck halves between two pieces of wax paper with a heavy pan or a mallet to even out the thickness (or have your butcher do it). Score the skin with a very sharp knife by cutting crisscrossing lines on it, making sure not to cut into the duck meat. Place the breasts on a baking sheet, and cover loosely with wax paper. Refrigerate overnight to allow the skin to dry out.

2. In a small bowl combine the apricots and either raisins or cherries, and macerate them with the port for at least an hour. Strain the port and reserve the fruit and port

3. On medium-high heat, melt the 2 tablespoons of butter in a skillet large enough to hold the 4 breast halves. Saute the duck breasts, skin-side down, for about 5 to 7 minutes, or until the skin is very crisp and nicely browned. Turn the breasts over and saute for another 5 minutes, or until the duck breasts are medium-rare. Transfer to a wooden carving platter and loosely cover. (If you prefer medium, cook for another 2 minutes on the second side.) Let rest for 10 minutes.

4. To make the sauce: Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the drippings from the pan and saute the shallots over medium-high heat for a minute, or until softened, stirring up the brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the stock, honey, reserved port and macerated dried fruit, and increase the heat to high. Reduce the mixture to a light glaze, about 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter to thicken and add sheen to the sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

5. Combine the fennel, lemon juice, olive oil, salt, pepper and chives in a bowl and toss with tongs to coat the fennel.

6. Spoon the fennel equally onto one side of each dinner plate. Slice the duck breasts thinly and arrange them overlapping on each serving plate. Spoon over the sauce and serve immediately.

Advance preparation: This should be prepared through Step 1 up to one day ahead and refrigerated. You can macerate the dried fruit up to eight hours ahead.

(Diane Rossen Worthington is an authority on new American cooking. She is the author of 18 cookbooks, including "Seriously Simple Parties," and a James Beard Award-winning radio show host. You can contact her at www.seriouslysimple.com.)


 

 

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