~ Seared Duck Breast over Black Truffle Risotto ~

I love duck and I love risotto.  Those who know me well, know that I lead a personal vendetta to have duck prepared without fruit.  Savory, in this case, trumps sweet.

This Recipe is very simple and hinges on properly searing and cooking the duck to a perfect rare.  Many people likely don’t realize that duck (and goose for that matter) are not like chicken or turkey. All duck meat is “dark” and can be eaten rare without fear of illness. The fat shares its composition with good olive oil, not animal fat.  So save it for later use!

Duck Risotto

~ The cooking for Risotto uses the basic technique here. I added the black truffles early on, so they would impart more of their flavor to the rice ~

Duck Risotto with Black Truffle

2 cups arborio rice
About 32 oz. Chicken Stock
1 Seared duck breast
Fresh black truffles
Truffle Oil Optional

Because I’m averse to gigantic kitchen messes, I seared the duck in a cast iron pan outside on my grill.  (a winning move!)  Make sure the risotto is about half way cooked before searing the duck.  The meat can be tented on the back of the cook top to stay warm while the risotto finishes.

Duck risotto

~ The carved duck breast ready to be plated ~

About half way through the cooking of the rice, stir in the truffles.  I used jarred Italian truffles that I purchased in Siena.  In my experience, they are the next best thing to fresh.  The jar is only a few ounces but is more than enough to impart the unctuous flavor to the rice.

Once finished, simply plate the risotto on warmed dishes and top with the duck.  It’s sublime perfection.

Duck Risotto

~ The Chef’s Plate ~

What to drink you say?

We enjoyed this dish with a couple of Brunello from 2018 for my recent coverage, but it would also work very well with Ribaldoni.

I’m lucky enough to find fresh duck breasts at a nearby local farm.  But you can order directly from here.

Salute!

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