Recipes

Best served with...

Merlot

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Blackberry Smoked Duck
Tim Putnam Smokeblossom Catering

Description
Blackberry and 2000 Merlot Smoked Duck

lead information...we use a cryovac (vacuum sealed) boneless petaluma breast of duck. These can be found @ high quality grocers, specialty stores, internet sources, and the like.

Ingredients

  • Duck (4 breasts)
  • 2 Cups Merlot
  • ½ cup fireweed honey (or other wildflower varietal)
  • 1 tbsp kosher or sea salt
  • 15-20 turns of freshly ground black pepper (do the work it's worth it!)
  • 16 oz bag of frozen blackberries or 2 dry pints of fresh
  • 1/4 cup smokeblossom balsamic syrup

Preparation
Thaw the duck (4 breasts) overnight under refrigeration, break out of seal, slightly rinse w/ cold water and prepare to bathe in:
2 cups tsillan cellars 2000 red mountain merlot
½ cup fireweed honey (or other wildflower varietal)
1 tbsp kosher or sea salt
15-20 turns of freshly ground black pepper (do the work it's worth it!)
16 oz bag of frozen blackberries or 2 dry pints of fresh
1/4 cup smokeblossom balsamic syrup

Other Information

Blackberry and Merlot

Smoked Duck

 

lead information...we use a cryovac (vacuum sealed) boneless petaluma breast of duck. These can be found @ high quality grocers, specialty stores, internet sources, and the like.

 

Thaw the duck (4 breasts) overnight under refrigeration, break out of seal, slightly rinse w/ cold water and prepare to bathe in:

 

2 cups tsillan cellars 2000 red mountain merlot

½ cup fireweed honey (or other wildflower varietal)

1 tbsp kosher or sea salt

15-20 turns of freshly ground black pepper (do the work it's worth it!)

16 oz bag of frozen blackberries or 2 dry pints of fresh

1/4 cup smokeblossom balsamic syrup

 

spin this brine in a blender and run through a fine mesh strainer,

pour under and over  the duck in a non reactive dish, glass or plastic is my choice. Let the duck bathe for more than 12 hours, but 24 is twice as good.

 

Prepare your smoker...drain your duck, reserving the brine for soaking the smoking chips. I use4 cups of fruitwood chips and have the tendency to thin the brine w/ local cider and pour over chips. Let the wood chips soak for 1 hour...great time to have a glass of the merlot!

I use a wood-stoked grill for any grilling, anything else is a step backwards. Build and burn your fire, heck, throw on an aluminum foil pouch of whole shallots w/ some olive oil and set them atop the grill...

This will be for the risotto.

Let the fire die to about 250 degrees Fahrenheit, push the coals to one side of the bucket and start adding your smoking chips by the cup. this will start the smoke barreling, add the duck (skin side down) on the coal vacant side, close the lid tightly...make sure the duck is not over any wood or fuel. The skin will render to a thin, crisp, and deep flavored component that is an integral part of the dish. Medium rare duck can be achieved in as soon as 20 minutes. I like to slow burn the smoker (200 degrees) for 35-45 minutes

remove from smoker and let rest for @ least 5 minutes, best served tepid or slightly  warmed.