At 14 years old,his passion for cuisine led him to his first job as a dishwasher. It was there, elbows deep in dish water, that Jeff Massey decided to pursue a career in the culinary arts. He is now part-owner and executive chef of Restaurant 62 in Abbotsford, and he shows us how to prepare duck breast.
Chef Jeff Massey
Seared Fraser Valley Duck breast with Rosemary, Red Wine and Blueberry Compote
For the Duck:
score the skin if the breast to help render the fat
season liberally with salt and black pepper
sear skin side down on low/medium heat for about 12 minutes, or until a nice rich
golden coulour is achieved and the skin is crispy
turn duck over and sear on flesh side for about 3 minutes or until duck breast is medium
rare
remove from heat and rest for 3-5 minutes
slice and serve over baby arugula salad
add some nice cheese such as aged gouda or brie
For the Compote:
2 cups fresh blueberries
1 tbsp sea salt
1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1/4 tsp cracked black pepper
1 shallot minced
1/2 cup red wine
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
Method:
in a medium sized heavy bottomed sauce pot, begin to sweat the shallot in the olive oil over medium heat
add sea salt, rosemary, and red wine, bring to a boil for about 2 minutes to remove alcohol
add blueberries and stir to incorporate
simmer over medium heat until blueberries are well cooked and are at a sauce like consistency
stir in fresh cracked black pepper