Duck Breast with Sweet Corn Pudding

With the cool wind in the air, and the first fall showers bringing the colorful leaves to the ground, it is a great time to host a gourmet dinner party to celebrate the end of harvest. This week our chef shares her recipe for Duck Breast with Sweet Corn Pudding, Melted Leeks and Fennel with a Huckleberry Sauce. These recipes can be made individually as side dishes, or served together as a complete fall dinner. This warm and decadent dish pairs beautifully with a Pinot Noir, a lighter blend Cabernet, or a Sangiovese wine.

Sweet Corn Pudding

½ cup polenta

½ cup flour

10 ears sweet corn

2 cups half and half

5 whole eggs

½ tsp. grated nutmeg

1 bay leaf

4 thyme sprigs

6 Tbsp butter

salt and pepper

Cut corn off of cobs and place half of the corn into a pot with the half and half. Scrape cobs into pot with the half and half and then put the cobs into the pot. Put in the thyme sprigs, bay leaf, grated nutmeg and 1tsp. salt and ½ tsp. white pepper. Let simmer for 20 minutes, then strain and let cool to room temperature. Separate eggs and whip up whites in a mixer until soft white peaks form. In a mixing bowl combine egg yolks, polenta and flour and remaining corn kernels. Fold in whipped egg whites. Place batter in a baking dish. Put baking dish inside of another larger dish and fill the pan up to ¾ of the way up with warm water. Place in a 350 degree oven for 25-35 minutes or until the pudding has puffed up and is golden brown on top.

Melted Leeks and Fennel

2 bulbs fennel

2 stocks leeks

2 Tbsp. olive oil

2 Tbsp. butter

salt and pepper

Cut green parts off from leeks and cut in half length wise. Put into a bowl of water and wash off dirt. Slice leeks 1/8 of an inch thick. Cut off green part from fennel bulb. Cut bulbs in half and slice the same thickness as the leeks (a Japanese mandolin works great for slicing fennel thin) Put leeks and fennel in a sauté pan with butter and olive oil, a pinch of salt and some fresh cracked pepper. Let cook on stove at a low temp until they are soft and tender but not browned—about 15 minutes. This can be done before hand and heated up to serve.

Huckleberry Sauce

3 cups Huckleberries fresh or frozen

1 cup pinot noir

½ cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

½ tsp. grated cloves

salt and pepper to taste

Place all ingredients in a stainless steel pan and simmer for 20 minutes. If the sauce is too thin, continue cooking until desired thickness. Remove cinnamon stick. This sauce can be made in advance and keeps well refrigerated. To serve heat to almost a boil and spoon over duck breast.

Pan Seared Duck Breast

4 duck breast (we recommend Liberty Farms Duck Breast, available in specialty food stores such as Sunshine in St. Helena)

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

Salt and fresh cracked pepper

Dry duck breast and score the skin in a couple of cross hatch marks. This allows the skin to crisp up in a hot pan without pulling away from the breast meat. Generously salt and pepper both sides of duck breast. Heat oil in a pan and place duck breast skin side down until skin is golden brown. Remove from heat and let rest on a baking rack skin side up until you are about 8 minutes away from eating. To finish the duck breast put into a 350 oven to finish cooking and pull out at medium rare. Breast will feel firm to the touch) Let rest for a few minute before serving. To serve, slice across the breast into 1/2 inch pieces and serve on top of the leeks, fennel and sweet corn pudding. Top with huckleberry sauce. Serves 6-8.

Recipe by Emily Buller