Italiano
Duck breast with Asperum balsamic vinegar
Potato cake with confit tomatoes and marjoram
A recipe from Venica, the chef of the Castello di Spessa Wine Resort
Ingredients:
For the meat: 600g duck breast with the skin, five-year-old Asperum balsamic vinegar and marjoram. A cooking thermometer.
For the confit tomatoes: 100g cherry tomatoes, sugar, marjoram, garlic, salt, pepper and extra-virgin olive oil.
For the potato cake : 800g potatoes (which have been previous boiled for around 15 minutes), thickly cut cooked ham, 1 onion, salt and pepper.
Directions:
Season the uncut tomatoes with marjoram, salt, sugar and garlic and cover abundantly with extra-virgin olive oil. Bake for around 90 minutes in a static oven at 150°C. (This can be done ahead of time and the tomatoes kept in the refrigerator in a sterilized container, covered in olive oil, for up to two months).
Braze the whole duck breast in a non-stick pan without any condiment then cook the skin side first for 7-8 minutes and then the other side until the interior temperature of the meat reaches 56-58°C.
Cut the meat into slices of around 5mm thick. Make bowls using aluminum foil and put the meat slices in them together with some of the meat juices, but not too much to avoid any boiling and ensuring they become crisp, and bake at low temperature, no more than 60°C, until the meat is done with crispy skins and a pink color.
Finely dice the onion and chop ham into cubes and sauté everything in a pan at a low hear for around 10 minutes. Add a little hot water and continue to cook until the water has completely evaporated and the onion has been caramelized.
Crush the potatoes with a fork, mix in the onions and then cook at a low heat, occasionally crushing the potatoes, until they become a chunky purée. Salt and pepper to taste. Bake until the potatoes have a brown crust and then transfer the composition into high molds.
Preparing the plate: bring the Asperum vinegar to a boil in a pan and mix in the juice from the meat to create a sauce. Place the slices of duck breast in a fan shape and cover with the sauce. Put a potato cake on each plate and decorate everything with the confit tomatoes and a little marjoram.
Wine to pair
Collio Doc Bianco Riserva del Castello 2010 Castello di Spessa
A wine with good potential and structure. Fermentation in barrique gives it complexity and an interesting bouquet. The palate is round, pervasive and full-bodied. Elegant without being excessive.
Production area: Capriva del Friuli, Parcel of Land 251 site La Busa, with flysch (locally called “Ponca”) consisting in marls and sandstones.
Grape varieties: 95% Pinot Bianco e 5% Ribolla Gialla, trained with Guyot system, with planting density of 6,000 plants per hectare and grape yield of 6 tons per hectare.
Wine making: very ripe grapes are hand-picked the last ten days of September. Before entering the cellar, the grapes undergo a strict selection on triage table to select only the very best grapes. To follow, maceration on the skins for one night at a temperature of 5°C.The grapes are soft-pressed to preserve the integrity of the skins and obtain a very gentle crushing of the same. The must is removed from the lees at low temperatures in stainless steel tanks. Racking directly into barrique where both alcoholic and malolactic fermentation take place. Ages in barrique from 36 months. Settling only if required. Bottling with only light filtration followed by bottle ageing for 36 months.
Serving temperature: 12°C.
Alcohol content: 14.5% vol.
Food pairing: companion to bouillabaisse, oven-baked and poached fish as well as mostarda (sweet-tart chutney). The perfect match with pate de fois gras with porcini mushrooms and ravioli with fondue and truffle.
