Herb-Cured Duck Breast with Baby Turnips and
Meyer Lemon
Serves 2
If Melissa Clark’s duck breast with grapes is easy enough to be a
weeknight dinner staple, this version is slightly fancier. It requires
that you make a cure with herbs, salt, and sugar that you rub onto
the duck a few hours before you cook it. Because of the sugar,
though, you’ll have to be careful; when the duck hits the pan, it
will brown up quicker and you may not have time to render it all
before it starts turning black. The best strategy is to trim the fat
down to a quarter inch before you apply the cure. Don’t trim too
much, though, or you won’t get that glorious crisp skin! As for the
sauce, the milk might sound strange, but think of it as a lighter
version of cream and then you’ll get where it’s going. The final
combination of fiery bronzed duck in a mellow, perfumed herbal
broth is an absolute knockout.FOR THE DUCK
½ cup sugar
⅓ cup kosher salt
½ cup basil leaves
¼ cup mint leaves