Duck...The Most Beautiful Thing!

Duck…The Most Beautiful Thing!

I have completed my Meds class, and have now moved on to Banquets and Catering. For the first 7 days my class worked ‘front of house’, serving tables. Now, we are back in the kitchen making a 3-course meal daily for 70-100 people!

Today’s menu:

Heirloom Tomato Salad with Gorgonzola and Balsamic

Duck with Brussels and Shallot Mashed Potatoes

-or-

Oyster Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, and Ricotta Stuffed Tortellini with Braised Artichokes and Cream Sauce

Peach Cobbler

I am on the protein team! Today we made the most DELICIOUS duck. We marinated it overnight in red wine, garlic, tarragon, and thyme. Then we oven seared it, braised it, and then used the braising liquid to lacquer the skin once again.

The tortellini was handmade! Our chef asked us all to help, which was fun and some of us got to learn something new.

Heirloom tomatoes are beautiful this time of year. See the skin on the wedge closest? Bright red with flecks of gold…these tomatoes don’t need much, they are like candy on their own. But the team who made the dish added a little gorgonzola for tangy-ness, and some bitter greens on top. The balsamic added contrast and made it brighter, pulling all the flavors together.

The duck was served with brussels sprouts that were cooked with bacon and topped with crispy breadcrumbs. Also, there are shallot and garlic roasted mashed potatoes.

The tortellini filling was delicious! The oyster mushrooms are both inside the pasta and tossed with the sauce and braised artichokes. The pasta itself was cooked perfectly. The garnish is a bit of fried parsley leaves.

Dessert was good as well. The pastry team used fresh donut peaches (we’ve talked about these before, remember?). It was buttery…cinnamony…sweet with a brown sugar crumb topping.