Pan Grilled Paillards Of Duck Recipes

BEEF PAILLARDS WITH ARUGULA AND CAPERS

Steps:

• Cut open two sides of a resealable plastic bag. Place 1 steak in the bag; pound to 1/4-inch thickness with a meat pounder. Transfer to a nonmetal container. Repeat with the remaining steaks. Add the marinade. Chill 2 hours.
• Place the onion in a bowl with the red-wine vinegar and salt to taste; toss to combine.
• Heat a grill or grill pan. Place the arugula, celery, lemon juice, and olive oil in a medium bowl; toss to combine. Season with salt and pepper. Remove the meat from the marinade; season with salt and pepper. Grill for 1 minute on each side, until browned. To serve, place 2 pieces of beef on each plate; sprinkle with capers. Top with arugula salad and pickled onions, dividing evenly.

GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARDS WITH MINT SALAD

Steps:

• Slice each chicken breast almost in half horizontally, leaving one side attached. Open like a book. Place each breast between sheets of plastic wrap and pound to about 1/4 inch thick with a meat mallet or small skillet. Heat a grill pan or grill to high; clean and lightly oil hot grill. Season chicken with salt and pepper and grill until cooked through, about 3 minutes per side. Slice chicken breasts in half, divide among four plates, and drizzle with 2 tablespoons dressing.
• In a large bowl, toss together lettuce, mint, carrot, onion, and 3 tablespoons dressing; serve over chicken.

HERB-MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN PAILLARDS WITH PAN SAUCE

Steps:

• One by one, place the chicken breasts between 2 pieces of plastic wrap, or inside of a resealable plastic bag, and pound with a meat mallet or rolling pin or heavy-bottomed pan until about 1/2-inch thick. In a glass baking dish, combine the zest and all but 1 tablespoon of the lemon juice with 1/4 cup of the olive oil, the shallot, garlic, and a little more than 2 tablespoons of each of the chopped fresh herbs. (Reserve the remaining chopped herbs.) Add the pounded chicken breasts to the herb mixture and turn to coat. Season generously with salt and pepper, cover the dish with plastic wrap, and put in the refrigerator to marinate, at least 20 minutes and up to 1 hour.
• Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the chicken breasts to the pan and cook, turning once, until cooked through and golden brown on both sides, about 4 to 5 minutes per side. Cook the breasts 2 at a time if the pan is too small. Transfer to a serving platter and keep warm.
• Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and the white wine to the pan, scraping to loosen any brown bits, and reduce until almost dry. Add the chicken broth and reduce by half, then off the heat add the reserved herbs and cold butter, swirling to melt the butter and thicken the sauce. Pour over the chicken paillards and serve immediately.

PAN-GRILLED DUCK WITH SPINACH AND POACHED APPLES

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Use a sharp knife to remove any excess fat from the duck. Remove the neck, cut in half and place in a shallow roasting pan. Remove the wings, being careful not to cut into the breast. Place the wings in the roasting pan. Cut along one side of the ridge of the breastbone, then scrape the knife against the side of the breastbone, gently freeing one half of the breast from the cavity. Repeat on the other side. Remove as much fat as possible from the meat and discard the fat. Remove the loose, sinewy flap of meat from the underside of both breast pieces. Set aside. Blend the salt and pepper and rub the mixture into the skin side of the breasts. Cover and refrigerate. Remove the duck legs and use the back of the knife to break up the carcass. Add the carcass to the roasting pan and roast in the oven along with the neck and wings for 20 to 25 minutes, turning frequently until evenly browned.
• Put the browned duck parts, onion, leek, carrots, peppercorns and bouquet garni -- and enough water to cover, about 6 quarts -- in a stockpot over low heat. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add the legs, the flaps of meat from the breast and the mushrooms, cover partially and simmer for 4 hours to get about 2 1/2 to 3 quarts. Skim any foam as it rises to the top.
• Strain the broth and discard the solids. Strain again through a fine sieve or a large strainer lined with cheesecloth. Cool and then refrigerate overnight to chill completely. Skim and discard the fat.
• Prepare the spicy poached apples. They can be kept at room temperature for up to 2 hours.
• An hour before serving, begin making the sauce. Put the duck broth in a saucepan over medium heat and cook until it has reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 35 minutes. (Freeze the remaining broth to make soup.) Add the leek or onion and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the carrot, remove from heat and set aside for 15 minutes.
• Heat a heavy skillet over medium-high heat until it is hot, but not smoking. Lay the breasts skin side down, and cook until brown, about 4 to 5 minutes. Turn them over and cook until done, about 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the thickness of the breasts. Pour out the fat as it accumulates in the pan. Remove the breasts to a tray, cover loosely with foil and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes and up to 15 minutes before slicing.
• Five minutes before you are ready to serve the duck, return the sauce to the heat and bring it to a simmer. Add the peppers and set aside for 3 minutes.
• Steam the spinach until just wilted and drain well.
• Use a sharp knife to slice the duck breasts thinly. Lay out 4 warmed plates. Place a mound of steamed spinach in the center of each plate and fan the duck slices around the spinach. Spoon the sauce over the meat, garnish with the spiced apples and serve.

PAN-GRILLED PAILLARDS OF DUCK

Steps:

• Pull skin off duck and thinly slice skin, then cook skin with water in a 10- to 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until fat is rendered and cracklings are browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Drain in a sieve set over a bowl and reserve rendered fat. Spread cracklings on paper towels to drain.
• Remove tender from underside of each breast half if attached and reserve for another use, then trim silver membrane from each breast half. Halve each breast half horizontally to make a total of 4 thin pieces. Gently pound each piece between 2 sheets of plastic wrap to an even 1/4-inch thickness with flat side of a meat pounder or with a rolling pin.
• Heat grill pan over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• While pan is heating, stir together salt, ginger, pepper, curry, and cinnamon in a small bowl. Sprinkle each duck paillard with 1/2 teaspoon spice mixture per side and lightly brush with some rendered duck fat. Grill duck, turning over once, 3 to 4 minutes total for medium-rare, then transfer to a cutting board and let stand, loosely covered with foil.
• While paillards stand, lightly brush orange slices with some rendered duck fat, then sprinkle with remaining spice mixture. Grill orange slices, turning over once, until just warmed through and grill marks appear, about 1 minute total, then transfer with duck to a platter.
• Season cracklings with salt and pepper and sprinkle over duck and oranges.
• *Available at the butcher section of many supermarkets and D'Artagnan (800-327-8246).