Blue Collar Cooking Chronicles: Tea-Leaf-Smoked Stuffed Duck Breast with Brown Tarragon Sauce

Finished duck with a foie gras risotto

I'll preface this narrative by saying that this is definitely NOT a cheap or easy dinner solution. It requires some specialized equipment, a lot of time, top quality products, plenty of patience, and some luck. If you're lacking any of those things, I don't suggest you try to replicate this dish. That having been said, if you do have the time, patience, and wallet for it, this dish is a terrifically yummy dinner with some wonderfully complex flavors working.

So, without further ado...

*Ingredients*	*Equipment Needed*
2-4 Boneless Duck Breasts	12 inch Cast Iron Grill pan
1 Handful of Pistachios, shells removed	10 inch Non-Stick Fry pan
½ Lb Andoule Sausage, casing removed, chopped	Stovetop Smoker unit
8 Black Tea Leaves, whole	Fillet knife, razor sharp
1 tsp Applewood shavings	8-10 inch Chef’s knife, razor sharp
½ C Dry White Vermouth	Oven with broiler setting
4 sprigs Tarragon, 1 whole, 3 finely chopped	2 ½ quart saucepan with lid
5 Tbs Unsalted Butter, room temperature	Food processor
Salt and Pepper, to taste	Strainer

Method:

Rinse and pat dry the duck breasts
Lay the duck skin-side down, then butterfly to create a pocket for the stuffing
Salt and pepper the inside of the butterflied cavity
In a non-stick fry pan, add the sausage. Cook on medium-high heat until browned on all sides. Remove sausage, reserving the fat and oils for later. Allow the sausage to cool to room temperature (to ensure that the heat from it does not begin to cook the duck when you stuff it)
Add the pistachios into your food processor, then pulse until very finely ground. Remove and sprinkle inside the duck pocket.
Add the sausage on top of the layer of pistachios. Close the pocket, then tie the duck closed (in the same way you would tie a roast, more or less)
Score the fat cap/skin of the duck, to prevent the skin from curling during the cooking process.
Inside your Stovetop smoker unit, add the tea leaves, wood chips, and about 1/4C of water. Then place the duck breasts on the smoking rack. Heat the unit on medium until smoke/vapor begins to appear. Close the top securely and smoke on medium-low for 30-40 minutes. DO NOT OPEN to inspect or you will increase cooking time and let your smoke escape!
Once the smoking process is done, scrap what remains on the drip pan into the pan with the sausage drippings. Add one large sprig of tarragon and allow it to infuse (no heat).
Pre-heat your Cast Iron grill pan for about 5 minutes on the highest heat setting you have. Do not add oil or butter. The duck fat will do most of the work for you, as duck is a very fatty/oily meat.
Sear the duck for about 3-4 minutes per side, basting with the accumulated juices. Meanwhile, preheat your broiler to "high" and place the cooking rack in the middle position.
When done searing, drain the juices from the pan and transfer it to the broiler. Keeping a watchful eye, place the pan and its contents in the oven for about 10 minutes, being careful not to let the skin burn. Ideally, you want it to crisp and become brown, but not be charred.
***Be sure that the internal temperature of the duck reaches at least 150 degrees before you serve it. Food safety is key here! (Typically poultry is served at no less than 165 degrees, but duck can be served slightly more rare than chicken, for example.)
Meantime, combine all the drained fats, juices, minced tarragon, and white wine in your saucepan. Bring it to a boil, while covered, then remove the cover and reduce to a proper sauce consistency. Place the result in the food processor and pulse until it is very smooth.
Strain the sauce, removing any lumps or pieces. Then, off the heat, add 2-3 Tbs of butter. Whisk in the butter to thicken the sauce. Set aside to thicken.
When done, remove the duck from the broiler and cut off the string. Let the meat rest 10 minutes
Ladle a small amount of the sauce over the duck. Garnish with fresh tarragon leaves. Serve and savor your victory!