Meal Plan With Duck Breast

[Ariea1507]

So my mother's birthday is coming up and I've decided to prepare a somewhat fancy dinner. I feel confident in my ability to follow recipes but not in deciding which recipes would go well together. I've decided to try cooking duck for the first time, and have found a recipe I think is great, but I'm not confident in choosing sides. What should I pick?

The duck recipe is a "Pan-Seared Duck Breast With Cherry Shallot Wine Sauce" I can post the link if requested but unsure if that is frowned on so left it out. I was thinking about doing some roasted vegetables like asparagus, onion, carrots, tomatoes and zucchini. Would a side of rice go well with the dish or well or what else could I serve? For dessert I'll be making a Tiramisu cake with mascarpone and raspberry filling so I'd like for the dinner and dessert to somewhat go with each other. I'm open to any suggestions and different recipes, thanks!

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

Duck is such a rich meat. The sides will need to be flavorful enough to compliment the fowl. Brussel sprouts with a Hollendaise sauce, or steamed asparagus would be great, along with some wild rice. Or if you want something a little sweeter, but not too sweet that will go well with the duck, I might suggest steamed sweet potatoes, with butter, and a touch of honey. Rustic, mashed rutabaga with butter and brown sugar would also go with the duck, aa would baked acorn squash.

Think warm, fall foods, such as root veggies (rutabaggas, sweet potatoes, Yukon-Gold steak fries, par-boiled, then fried in duck fat, cooked cabbage, Brussel sprouts, asparagus, freshly steamed artichokes, winter squash, Harvard beets, etc.).

Seasonings should be very simple, salt, black pepper, onion, maybe a bit of paprika. You don't want the herbs, or spices to hide the natural flavors of the food. For desert, maybe a good flan, or vanilla panacotta. Though something like a baked apple, or apple crisp would work as well. i think the flan, with its vanilla/cinnamon, and caramelized sugar under that yummy custard would beb perfect.

I'm sure others will come up with other wonderful suggestions.

Seeeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North

 

[Ariea1507]

Thank you for your suggestions! Your advice had me rethinking a bit in that I should simplify my menu more instead of doing a bunch of complicated side dishes. The duck should really be the feature of the meal after all. I think I'm going to stick with my original duck recipe, with "Pan-Seared Duck Breast With Cherry Shallot Wine Sauce" something about the wine sauce just seems really tempting. But I found another recipe online that includes side dishes, Asparagus, fingerling potatoes and grape tomatoes are tossed in a bit of duck fat, salt and pepper while roasting on the stovetop. I think the asparagus and grape tomatoes will be a hit, they're a family favorite. But would wild rice be a better accompaniment instead of the potatoes? I'd like something a bit different aside just meat and veg. I was thinking perhaps a warm beet salad would be a nice starter to the meal as well and might bake some dinner rolls.

 

[Chief Longwind Of The North]

F0r appetizers, I like to make these soups that I call essencw soups. They are pure broth,and are created to wet the appetite. They are ddeliscious, and don't fill up the person eating them, leaving plenty pf room for the ain course.. One of my favorite essence soups is to prchase a half lb. of mushrooms, portabella, or white button mushrooms, Place them into a pan and cover with water. Boil the mushrooms for 20 minutes, then remove the mushrooms.
they still have flavor, and would be a good addition to eihter wild rice, or the fingeling potatoes, tomatoes, adn asparagus. Add a ;ittle soyd sauce to the mushroom broth,, along with an eith tbs. ground ginger. Stir this up and elt it sit for five minutes. Taste and add more soy sauce, and or ginger to your taste. Serve this appetizer before the main course, again to make everyone just more hungry for the main course. I feel appetizers shouldn't fill up the eater, the main course and sides should do that.

Your meal sounds magnficent. Your ideas will work. Amd yes, the wwild rice cvan be a great change of pace, but will need to be seasoned, maybe cooked in chicken broth. Season lightly with salt and peppe if you ddecide to use the wild rice. But I like your fingerling potatoes, tomato and asparagus cooked in duck fat. And if yu make the mushroom broth appetizer, add the cooked mushrooms to that mix.

I think your meal will be a hit.

Seeeeeeya; Chief Longwind of the North.

 

[Kevin86]

Duck and/or goose breast I like to cube and wrap in bacon. Kabob that with onion, bell peppers, jalapeño, some people do mozzarella chunks, I like thin slices of potato as well & button mushrooms( normal white mushrooms also work or you can piece them. Some people prefer portabella strips but I’m a button guy. Preference is yours to play with).

If you take a squirt of oil with herbs and spices that you like in a ziplock bag and coat everything you get a nice crunch to them.

Depending how hungry you are you can serve with bruschetta or a bed of rice (I like it mixed with creamy mushroom soup. But of course pick your favourite creamy soup)

 

[Kevin86]

I don’t want to derail this thread but does anyone make a duck pot pie? If so what gravy etc do you mix in? I’ve been told chicken and turkey blend better but curious.

 

[Kevin86]

Not fancy but comfort food on a chilly day. I get my heavy casserole dish and roast onion, garlic, a jalapeño if you like. I’m a fan of pableno peppers in mine as well. Then a can of spiced/herbed makes a stacked up base. Then you can set your breasts on top of that and bake but I like to shove the breast into the tomatoes and veg it comes out so moist and the flavours blend so well.

With this your call serve on garlic bread (my favourite) or on a bed of rice. Of course pasta is an option as well but it never hit the same spot for me. You can likely try couscous or barley or anything like that but hey.

 

[Ariea1507]

I absolutely love the idea of the essence soups, we normally have salads before dinner so it would be a great change of pace. I think it'd be perfect to balance out a rich meal, I'll definitely add mushrooms to the mix as well. I think they will add a nice variety to the meal I was searching for. I haven't quite settled on wild rice or the fingerling potatoes, but I think I'll take your advice and go with the potatoes.

I'm not familiar with duck meat so I couldn't say on the duck pot pie, but your other recipes sound delicious. If the duck is a hit we might make it a staple in our house and I'll have to try them.

Thanks for all your help and advice, I think this meal will be a hit. I might regret it later lol.