Parsnip Purée with Duck Breast, Radicchio, and Cranberry Relish

Abra Berens, Ruffage

This is one of my favorite dishes to make about a week after Thanksgiving when there’s still some cranberry relish and we are all ready for some seriously Christmasy flavors. Feel free to substitute 1 cup (450 ml) of leftover relish if you have it. If you don’t, follow these instructions and know that you can scale up the recipe as needed. This relish keeps for weeks, so don’t be shy. The orange in the parsnip purée will go well with all of the variations that follow, but feel free to leave it out. If you can’t find duck, substitute chicken breasts, thighs, or thick pieces of salmon.

ingredients

12 oz (340 g) cranberries, washed and sorted

1 tart apple (½ lb | 230 g), cored and cut into large chunks

Zest and juice of 2 oranges

¼ cup (50 g) sugar

2 tsp (12 g) salt, plus more as needed

½ cup (120 ml) olive oil, plus more as needed

1 onion (½ lb | 1 cup | 230 g), cut into thin slices

1 cup (240 ml) white wine

8 to 10 parsnips (about 2 lb | 910 g), ends cut off, peeled and cut into chunks

1 cup (240 ml) cream

2 star anise (optional)

4 duck breasts (8 to 10 oz | 230 to 280 g each)

Freshly ground black pepper

1 head radicchio, cored and leaves cut into petals

directions

In a food processor, combine the cranberries, apple, orange juice, sugar, and a big pinch of salt. Blend until still chunky but evenly sized. Allow to sit at room temperature for 1 hour.

In a medium saucepan, heat a glug of olive oil and sweat the onion until soft, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the wine and reduce until almost dry. Add the parsnip chunks and 2 tsp(12 g)of salt, and toss to coat.

Add the cream, ½ cup olive oil, and star anise(if using). Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the parsnips are falling-apart tender, about 15 minutes. Remove the anise, transfer the parsnips (liquid and all) to a food processor, and blend until very smooth (this may need to be done in batches).

Add the orange zest and set the parsnip purée aside.

Score the skin of the duck breasts; this allows the fat to render more easily from the meat. Season the duck liberally with salt and pepper.

Put the duck breast, skin-side down, in a cold, heavy-bottomed pan and turn the heat to medium. As the pan heats, it will slowly render the fat out of the duck, making the skin golden and crispy, about 12 minutes. (There will be a lot of fat; this can be saved and used to roast potatoes and such.)

When the skin is golden brown and crispy, flip the duck over to quickly sear the under side of the breast and cook to medium-rare, about 4 minutes. Transfer to a platter and let the duck rest for 5minutes, skin-side up.

Dress the radicchio with a glug ofolive oil and sprinkle of salt. Add any duck cooking juices to the cranberry sauce and stir to combine (optional).

Spoon some purée on to each serving plate, nestle the duck into the purée, top with a spoonful of the cranberry sauce, garnish with the radicchio, and serve.

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Reprinted from Ruffage by Abra Berens with permission by Chronicle Books, 2019