Duck Fillet with Maple Syrup

Ingredients

• 40 g sugar
• 500 ml black vinegar
• 30 ml maple syrup
• 720 g duck breast fillet (4 duck breasts)
• 150 ml orange juice
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 500 g pumpkin (e.g., butternut squash)
• 60 g shallots
• 1 small red chili pepper
• 1 small garlic clove
• 40 g Butter
• 20 g sugar
• 3 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 450 ml vegetable broth
• Salt
• Pepper
• 500 g Swiss chard
• sugar
• 1 tbsp lime juice
• 20 ml rapeseed oil
• 50 g sunflower seeds

Instructions

1. 1.

   Caramelize 30 g of sugar in a pot until light brown, deglaze with the vinegar and 100 ml water, simmer over medium heat until all sugar dissolves. Stir in maple syrup and pour the mixture into a shallow dish to cool.

2. 2.

   Score the skin of the duck breasts crosswise with a sharp knife without cutting into the meat. Place skin side up in the cooled sauce, cover and refrigerate for at least 2–3 hours (preferably overnight).

3. 3.

   Reduce orange juice with the bay leaf until thickened; add remaining sugar and soy sauce, bring to a boil again, then set aside.

4. 4.

   Halve, peel, seed, and slice pumpkin thinly. Dice shallots finely, wash the chili pepper, cut lengthwise, remove seeds and white membrane, dice finely. Peel and crush garlic. Sauté pumpkin, shallots, garlic, and chili in half of the butter for 2 minutes until translucent. Add sugar, caramelize lightly for 1 minute, deglaze with vinegar, reduce. Pour in 450 ml broth, cover, cook for 8–10 minutes, season with salt and pepper.

5. 5.

   Clean, rinse, and drain Swiss chard. Separate stems from leaves; dice stems, cut leaves into wide strips. Sauté stems in remaining butter for 3–4 minutes, add the rest of the broth, season with salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar, and lime juice. Just before serving, add leaf strips and cook together for another 2–3 minutes, adjusting seasoning as needed.

6. 6.

   Preheat oven to 250 °C on grill setting.

7. 7.

   Heat oil in a pan. Remove duck breasts from sauce, pat dry, and sear skin side down over medium heat for 3–4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side for 7–8 minutes, season with salt and pepper. Transfer to the top rack of the oven and crisp for 2–3 minutes.

8. 8.

   Warm orange sauce, arrange pumpkin and chard on warmed plates, drizzle with sauce. Slice duck into thin medallions, place over vegetables, sprinkle sunflower seeds, and serve immediately.