Salt isn’t fat soluble. On the face of it, this statement might not exactly make your spine tingle with excitement. Another unsexy observation: solid fat melts when heated. But combined, these two fatty facts provide the basis for one incomparably delicious meal. Heat a Himalayan salt block and toss on a duck breast, fat side down. The fat will immediately melt, but because salt isn’t fat soluble it will not dissolve, and the duck breast will pick up only the faintest trace of salt. When you flip the breast to the lean side, the moisture on the surface of the meat will start to flow and the meat will take on a beautiful glaze of salt that carries the whole dish. Meanwhile, you can fry potatoes in the hot fat glazing the salt block! Simple as this dish may seem, it makes the best duck breast I have ever eaten. Serve with a good Rhône or Languedoc wine.
Recipe information
Yield
serves 2
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Heat the salt block on a stove, as described in Heating on page 269.
Step 2
While the blocks are heating, wash and thoroughly dry the duck breasts and the potatoes. Trim any excess fat from the duck breasts, leaving a good layer of fat under the skin covering the meat. Slice the potatoes into 1/4 inch-thick rounds.
Step 3
Put a duck breast, fat side down, on each of the hot salt blocks and cook until the fat starts to render off the duck in a small pool, 2 to 3 minutes. If a flare-up occurs (I’ve never had this happen), turn off the burner, wipe off any dripping fat, and relight. Rub the rounds of potatoes in the fat and arrange them close together around the edges of the salt blocks. When the fat on the duck breast has shrunk to a golden square, 8 to 10 minutes total, turn the breasts flesh side down using a metal spatula, being careful to scrape the surface of the block to remove any adhering fat. Turn the potato rounds as well. Cook duck and potatoes together for another 4 to 5 minutes, until the bottom side of the duck is lightly browned.
Step 4
Remove the duck and let it rest for 5 minutes. Continue to fry the potatoes until golden, another 4 to 5 minutes. Remove to paper towels to absorb excess fat from the surface.
Step 5
Slice the duck breasts across the grain into 1/4-inch strips, arrange on plates with the potatoes, and serve with a dollop of Dijon mustard to accompany the potatoes, if desired.
Step 6
Make sure the salt block is off the heat, and let it cool to room temperature before cleaning and storing it (see page 270).
