So the other day, I saw some beautiful duck breasts at the store and decided to have that for dinner. I’ve been fermenting lettuce at home… and if you’ve been reading some of the previous posts, lettuce has been featured as well. So with the leftovers, I decided to make a batch of “kimchi”, I also had leftover parsley so I used it as well, and I’ll get to the ingredient list and preparation in a bit, but wanted to mention that lettuce ferments beautifully and retains a lot of its bite and brightness. In any case, my dinner that day was so delicious that I decided to make it again tonight and post it here to share it with you. I’ve been cooking quick dinners lately, this is one of them. Takes about 30 minutes to make given that you have a batch of fermented lettuce at hand, but if don’t, just grab kimchi or sauerkraut (cornichons or pickles could be another alternative) at the store and it will slightly different but equally delicious. Pan seared Duck breast with lettuce “kimchi” and fresh pea shoots:
Lettuce “Kimchi” (makes lots):
1 shredded iceberg lettuce
1/2 Cup of chopped parsley (stems included)
2 Tbsp shriracha sauce (or more 1 Tbsp chilli paste)
1 Tbsp sea salt
1/2 Tbsp of Fish Sauce
1/2 Tbsp soy sauce
1 or 2 Tbsp of sugar
To make the lettuce “kimchi”. Place all the ingredients in a clean bowl and with clean hands mix it all up really well. I like doing it this way because it distributes the salt really well and speeds up the drawing of moisture out of the vegetables, which is good, because the sooner they are covered by their own liquid the better. Transfer to a non reactive container and place a weight (make sure it is clean, I use a glass bowl that fits the jar, and then i fill it with water to add more weight), I have used glass and ceramic before. Don’t use stainless steel, iron, copper, etc.. Within an hour or two, lots of liquid will haven been drown out. Press down on the weight gently and let rest some more. Before you know, the liquid will cover the compacted veggies in the jar and the fermentation process can safely begin now. Cover the jar with kitchen towel to keep your “kimchi” even safer. Allow to rest on the counter for 1 week, and up to 4 weeks at which point you can store it in the refrigerator indefinitely really. The fermentation and taste will keep developing until the acidity level is so high that the bacteria responsible for the fermentation process can no longer live. This are acidity levels similar to those found in any vinegar. Some alcohol will also be released in the presence of sugars. Exactly, nothing wrong with that.
Duck Breast (serves 2, 30 mins):
2 fresh duck breast (hopefully not frozen but frozen will do)
Splash of Sauvignon Blanc
Splash of Sherry wine vinegar (Pedro Ximenez if you have it, any red vinegar should work)
Sesame oil (I used olive oil, but sesame oil would work better I believe)
1/2 cup lettuce “kimchi”
Fresh Pea Shoots to taste
Salt to taste
Cooking the duck breast. There are probably a few approaches to getting this awesome piece of meat right. Sous Vide comes to mind. But I won’t be making it this way. I chose the very traditional way of making it, which is very easy and accessible to most. First, score the skin layer crisscross style, which serves a couple of purposes. One, increases the surface area of the skin side, which will allow fat to render more efficiently. Scoring is a very common technique when thick layers of fat need to be cooked until crisp. Second, it allows for salt to reach the muscle underneath so the duck breast can be seasoned more evenly (you could always brine them, but that will require time, and this post is about a quick week night dinner). Fat can’t be salted, salt is only soluble in water, so if you don’t score the skin, a lot of the salt on it will get carried away from the skin with the fat when it melts.
Ok, once the scoring is done. Salt the duck breasts generously, and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes. I cooked these cold out of the fridge. You can let them reach room temperature if you want, but I just don’t have the patience and I think it actually helps if the meat is a little cold. I’m not gonna lie. I adjust the stove like 20 times while cooking these, but the first 10 minutes is pretty simple. Just lay the duck breasts skin side down. A cool stainless steel pan, doesn’t need to be hot. And set the stove to low heat. Some stoves are hotter than others. You want to hear a slight sizzle but only that. Gentle cooking. You probably noticed no cooking fat is being used, no olive oil or any fat really. The skin on the duck breasts have all the fat needed to get this cooked just right. In these first10 minutes, make sure that the skin isn’t getting 2 dark, a nice light golden color is perfect. If you feel the skin is cooking too fast, remove the pan from the stove, allow to cool off a bit, return to the stove.. here is where practice helps. So, now that the skin is crispy and light golden brown, drain the fat from the pan. Reserve for other purposes. Duck fat is a precious thing.
Now, the tricky part, getting the duck breast to a nice medium level of doneness. Get an instant read thermometer. I don’t cook duck breasts 100 times a night every night to develop a second nature about when to get these out of the pan. I trust that little inexpensive gadget instead. We are aiming for somewhere between 54C and 58C (52C if you like them medium rare) give or take. With a sous vide water bath this would be a no-brainer. But with the thermometer, there is carryover heat to take into account. So, before the core of the meat reaches 54C degrees, the duck breasts need to be removed form the hot pan and allow to rest. Do this about 3-5 degrees before the goal temperature. The meat will continue to cook on its own. This is actually ideal. I take this time to get to the rest of the cooking, or a perfect idle time to clean the kitchen. To ensure more even cooking, I like to cover the pan. Keep the pan on low heat the entire time. I know the recipe title implies searing (which usually happens in a searing hot pan), think of this as really slow searing… i guess? Keep probing the meet with the thermometer, you can also flip it over if you think the skin is getting too dark. Once you reach say, 48C-49C, remove the meat from the pan and place it on the cutting board.
Making the lettuce “kimchi” side. Drain any excess fat form the pan but keep the brown bits (fond). That’s flavor right there. Return pan to the stove. Medium high heat now. Allow the pan to get hot. Watch the brown bits, we don’t want black bits. That’s game over. Deglaze with the splash of white wine. Deglaze with another splash of sherry vinegar. Add the lettuce “kimchi” to the pan. And reduce. By now, the duck breasts must have released some blood and liquid on the cutting board. Add that to the pan. Nothing goes to waste. The blood will help thicken the quick pan sauce a little bit. Cook off most of the liquid in the pan. Remove from the heat.
For plating. Cut the duck breast in Slices. Place the lettuce “kimchi” on the plate. Transfer the duck breast slices to the plate onto the bed of lettuce “kimchi” Dress the pea shoots with olive or sesame oil. Top the chicken breasts with them. I like the pea shoots for 3 reasons. It’s not parsley which don’t get me wrong, I love, but it get’s tiresome sometimes. Pea shoots look beautiful, specially dressed in a good tasting oil, they bring up the colors of everything else on the plate, and they add texture to the final dish. Oh, and they taste great too! And by the way, if you are into plating, and are comfortable using chop sticks. It’s a really good tool for styling and plating and also for beating eggs to make omelets! until next time! And I apologize for not having photos of the process. I was just too hungry.
Wanna get more sous-vide cooking guides and cool cooking how-to’s in your mailbox? You know what needs to be done!
We never spam. You should only be getting updates when new content is posted on the site. We also respect your privacy. We don’t share your email address with anyone and you can unsubscribe anytime!
54 comments
I would never thought to ferment lettuce. Must give it a try. Pea shoots are my top favorite salad in spring. That + duck = yum!
you should give it a try if you are into fermenting at home, it’s basically the same process 🙂 and of course duck… it’s a bit expensive, but so worth it! thank you for stopping by!!!
So inventive. Gorgeous pictures (as always). I love your lettuce kimchi!
thank you Darya!!! hope you get to try it! take care!
Hi Paul, interesting idea to ferment lettuce. I’ve done numerous posts on cooking duck breast. Your method is great for medium, as your photo shows. For medium rare, higher heat is needed. It also depends on how much of the fat you want rendered out. Using sous-vide and transglutaminase are not suitable for a weekday dinner 😉
Hi Stefan! when I cook duck breast I either go to the MC books or check your blog 🙂 I’m salt-curing a couple of duck breasts in the fridge (different seasonings) as we speak, hopefully I can come up with some ideas for another post. I have yet to play with meat glue! I’m really glad you enjoyed this post, thank you Stefan!
MC uses dry ice to partially freeze the duck breast and thus crisp the skin without overcooking the meat. I haven’t tried that one yet, and don’t like the idea of freezing for the impact it has on the texture.
haven’t tried the MC way yet. I would probably suggest brining the duck breasts to reduce the formation of ice crystals. You’d still be able to get the meat really cold and prevent the texture change, or at least that’s my theory 🙂
A dry cure might be an idea. I try to avoid wet cures as that replaces part of the (flavorful) duck juices with water.
yeah, that sounds like a good idea
I just bookmarked this … I have never thought of using lettuce for a kimchi before. Great recipe, thank you!
Appreciate that John, thank you! I guess we both now live in Canada btw, I moved to Vancouver 🙂
Vancouver is about the best ‘foodie’ location in the country 🙂
this city is pretty amazing I have to say. The quality of food and ingredients is incredible 🙂
Lettuce kimchi sounds so unique! And get a load of your photographs, so clear and plated so well (your shtick!) You have given wonderful instruction in your “tricky part” section. Someone like me could really use the extra explanation of how to get to a nice medium level of doneness. Great post.
I haven’t researched fermenting lettuce but I’m sure is not uncommon. And thank you! I’m so glad you liked the recipe and the photos, it was an easier dish to put together and photograph than some others, so there’s a little extra time for plating while the food is still nice and warm. I sometimes tend to go a little long on my posts explaining in more detail certain things that I found difficult to learn, and it is always great to hear when somebody finds it useful, thank you so much again!
Everything about this dish is simply wonderful. And your pictures are mouthwatering
Thank you, Diana! and it is really simple to make too!
Paul, this is such a gorgeous plate of food. I can imagine eating this in the finest restaurant. The duck looks perfectly cooked to temperature and the fat beautifully rendered. You know what I like? That you saw a gorgeous duck at the market and were “called” to cook it. Love it. As for the fermented lettuce / kimchi, I am beyond impressed. You are an adventurous cook! PS I noticed this: ” In any case, my dinner that day was so delicious that decided…” For some reason, the “I’ is not showing up…
Thank you Shanna! So glad you liked the recipe and the presentation! in this case the presentation was quite straight forward, garnishing and plating are often overlooked in home cooking. But it really doesn’t require that much extra effort. Some food are easier to plate than others. Meat dishes are probably the easiest, oh and fresh vegetables too. I will look for and correct that missing “I”, something to do with a third glass of wine am sure 🙂
Yes, wine is always a good idea. 🙂 You are right; we eat with our eyes. I would like to improve my plating – it is definitely not very good! I will look to your blog for inspiration and technique in this area.
Thank you 🙂 when I look for some ideas, I usually google the main ingredient or recipe name and then go straight to images, and there’s always one or two that will stand out and make you wanna eat your computer hahah 🙂 or pinterest, same deal! and of course, cookbooks!
Yes, I google or utilize pinterest – or open up the cookbooks. However, if the toddlers are around (they have awful colds all winter!), they remain on the shelf. 🙂 Magazines, of course, are always ideal.
Yeah, no toddlers here 🙂 I hope the got better!
Between preschool and my husband working full-time in one of the most underserved hospitals in the country, we are quite used to the little bugs… and bounce back. 🙂 Happy Sunday!
Shanna, I just saw your email 🙂 and replied, thank you! Sorry it took me a little long to reply, but this google authentication thingy got the best of me hhahaha
Paul, Perfection! Lettuce kimchi is brilliant! Oh, and the way your duck turned… I am speechless. And, of course, your photography is amazing!
thank you Fae, so glad you liked this post!!!! I hope you’re having a great weekend! 🙂
There is a sying ‘There is nothing new under the Sun’! After reading your supereasy recipe for lettuce kimchi I am not so certain 🙂 ! Fantastic!! Will be trialled soonest . . . am looking forwards to that. Being of N European heritage sauerkraut, pickled cucumbers etc were naturally ‘mother’s milk’, so I really want to try what this tastes like!! Sorry if perfectly well cooked duck today came second in comments 😉 !
Thanks Eha 🙂 really appreciate your comment, and really glad you found something new in my post! Where from northern europe are you from?
Veruy proudly born in Tallinn, Estonia, home of Skype, would you believe and the largest Song Festival in the world!!! Have been a very happy Australian for many years tho’ !!!!
Estonia! That sounds very exotic to me 🙂 Im from venezuela, lived in the US for many years and now I’m living in Canada. I had no idea Estonia was the home of Skype! hahah, I happen to use Skype all the time 🙂 Never been to Australia, lived in New Zealand for 6 months, and almost visited there.
Paul, OMG, that looks serious! Seriously delicious! Kinda mad at you for not bringing this to the fiesta! If only I saw this earlier. Would have solved my dinner dilemma. 🙂
hahah, thank you so much! I apologize for not bringing it to the fiesta! I’m one of the worst bloggers out there!
Beautiful photos!!! 😉
Thank you Sylvia! 🙂
Paul, you have the best dinners. I am a little bit jealous. 😀
some are better than others 🙂 the better ones sometimes end up on the blog hahah thank you Patty!!!! Last night didn’t: Leftover dominos pizza. Don’t judge!
Ooooh leftover pizza is one of my favorites! I love it cold, right out of the fridge, with a side of ranch. Oh drat, I want some now!
yep, isn’t that funny?? sometimes the best dining experience one can have is a slice of greasy cold pizza hahhah I’m thankful for that!
My other favorite dish is scrambled eggs over rice. Childhood favorite and still a top choice for comfort food!
i like roasted chicken cold out of the fridge, eggs, of course, I’ve eat eggs too often, I need to keep that addiction under control!
No no, no need to control that need for eggs!
hahahah! i can’t 🙂
This looks amazing, Paul! I love all the colours and duck has to be one of my favourite meats to eat (especially when it’s cooked as well as you’ve done it!). I definitely need to try this- absolutely fab recipe! Have a great week 🙂
Thank you Jess! Have a great week as well! 🙂
Beautifully done, and unique.
thank you Liuba!!!!
Fermented lettuce is a new one for me, Paul, though it does make sense if one can ferment cabbage. Can’t say that I’ve tried kimchi yet, though. Just haven’t gone to many Korean restaurants. I need to remedy that. Great tutorial, too, for sautéing and serving a duck breast. The final dish looks fantastic!
Kimchi is addictive so be careful or dont.. 🙂 thank you for your wonderful comment John! So, i ended up googling this lettuce fermentation, and there are very few sources, but the 2 that I found did agree on the fact that fermenting it is a wonderful way of preserving it. Which is great, I because quick dinners for one or two people, one lettuce is too much, and it spoils rapidly even in the fridge.
Paul, your meals are always so inventive and beautifully plated. Very inspiring!
thank you Karen!!!!
Gosh both the duck great and the kimshi sound awfully complicated! Well done, I would definitely order a serving 🙂