| Preparation
For the duck schnitzel:
Up to 1 day before serving, butterfly the duck breasts – place a
breast on a work surface and place your hand on top of it. Using a sharp
knife, horizontally (with the knife parallel to the work surface) cut
the breast almost in half, leaving the two halves attached along one edge.
Open up the sliced
breast and place it between two sheets of plastic wrap. Using a mallet
or a heavy skillet, pound gently, starting at the thick center and working
your way out to the edge, until the breast is about ¼-inch thick
or less all over. Season with salt and pepper. Repeat with remaining breasts,
stacking the pounded breasts between sheets of wax paper until the time
of cooking.
Method
For
the duck: Whisk the eggs, cheese, and herbs together. Spread
out the bread-crumbs on a large plate. Heat the oven to 200°C and
place an ovenproof platter inside to warm.
Heat a large skillet
(work in batches or use two skillets, if needed to avoid crowding) over
high heat. Dip one duck breast in the egg mixture, then dredge on both
sides in breadcrumbs. Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the skillet and add
the breast to the hot pan. Cook until golden brown and crisp (about 4
– 5 minutes; DO NOT let the butter or the coating burn and blacken!)
Turn and cook briefly on the other side just until browned, adding more
butter if needed. Remove the cooked duck breasts from the pan and keep
warm in the oven.
For
the sauce: Add 2 tablespoons of butter to the hot skillet you
cooked the duck in and melt over high heat. Watch carefully while the
butter solids toast slightly, and allow them to turn light brown. When
the mixture starts to smell nutty, add the hazelnuts and orange zest and
cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring. Then remove the pan from heat,
add the orange juice, and return the pan to the heat, boiling the mixture
until it has been reduced to a sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
For
the salad: Roast the beets up to 1 day in advance – heat
an oven to 350°C. In separate roasting pans, or wrapped separately
in aluminum foil (to prevent the colors from bleeding onto each other),
roast the beets until tender when pierced with a knife (about 30 minutes).
When cool enough to handle, peel and dice into bite-size cubes. Just before
serving, toss the diced beets with the remaining ingredients.
Serving
Place a duck breast
on a serving plate and top with the sauce. Sprinkle with chives. Serve
immediately with beet, orange and arugula salad. |
