Nga Nguyen

Skillet-cooked duck breast with beets and watercress

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Santa just arrived! Now this elf needs some sleep before the kids bring down the house in the morning.

For Christmas Eve dinner, we served:

And lots and lots of bubbles and wine…

Skillet-cooked duck breast with beets and watercress

(Adapted from Saveur here and here)

For 8 servings

For black rice:
2 shallots (thinly sliced)
2 tbs olive oil
3 cups black rice
3 cups chicken broth

  1. In a skillet, heat olive oil.
  2. Add shallots and cook until fragrant and soft, about 1-2 minutes.
  3. Rinse black rice.
  4. Add rice, shallots, and chicken broth to a rice cooker.
  5. Choose Brown Rice settings if available.

For beets:
8 whole yellow and red beets (unpeeled)
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs balsamic vinegar
Sea salt and pepper

  1. Toss all ingredients together.
  2. Wrap each beet separately with foil.
  3. Bake in oven 350F for 30-45 minutes, depending on sizes.
  4. Rub foil to peel beet skins.
  5. Cut into wedges.
  6. Keep warm

For ruby port sauce:
3 cups ruby port (or 2 cup ports + 1 cup red wine)
2 shallots (thinly sliced)
1 tbs whole pepper
2 tsp cornstarch

  1. In a saucepan, combine all ingredients except cornstarch.
  2. Simmer until reduced by half, about 25-30 minutes.
  3. Whisk in cornstarch, and cook for another minute.
  4. Keep warm

For duck breast:
8 duck breasts (about 3 lbs)
Sea salt and pepper

  1. Season the flesh side of duck breasts with salts and pepper.
  2. In a skillet, place duck skin-side down.
  3. Cook until skin is crispy, about 5 minutes.
  4. Flip and cook for another 3-4 minutes for medium rare.

For watercress salad:
1 bunch of fresh watercress
1 tbs olive oil
Sea salt and pepper

  1. Before serving, toss all ingredients together.

To serve:

  1. Place a spoonful rice pile in the middle of a dinner plate.
  2. Scatter beets wedges around rice.
  3. Layer one duck breast, skin-side up, on top of rice.
  4. Add a spoon or two of ruby port sauce.
  5. Sprinkle watercress on top.
  6. Serve immediately.