Chef Dustin Valette grew up in California wine country, but his career took him around the world to places as far as Rome and Hawaii before the siren song of this lush region called him home. Today, Chef Valette lives with his family in the Victorian farmhouse where his great-grandfather lived in the 1930s. The family connection doesn’t end there: he opened Valette in downtown Healdsburg with his brother, Aaron, in the same location where his great-grandfather’s French-style bakery once served guests. He later opened The Matheson, with two concepts under one roof.
Chef Valette is passionate about local ingredients, sourcing products from farmers he grew up alongside, as well as those he has formed partnerships with over the years. One product he has grown to love? Liberty Farms duck. “Liberty Farms is truly the chef's duck of the West. The fat content, the flavor, and the rich meatiness is simply unmatched in the poultry world."
He also thinks duck makes the perfect holiday meal. "A whole roasted duck is truly magical,” he shares. “The depth of flavor and the robust intensity of the crispy duck skin is just a complete gamechanger when it comes to cooking for the holidays."
Below, Chef Vallette shares two ways to prepare duck this holiday season.
Maple Glazed Liberty Farms Duck with Roasted Chestnuts, Red Curry Squash Gastrique and Preserved Lemon
Ingredients
1 ea Whole Fresh Liberty Farms Duck, cleaned and tied (ask your local butcher)
1 # Fresh Chestnuts, Peeled and Diced into 1/4s
1 ea Red Curry Squash, peeled and Diced into ½ “ cubes
1 ea Preserved Lemon, seeded and chopped fine (available at most fine food retailers)
½ cup Currents
1 ea Shallot, Peeled, diced Small
1 bunch Chives, sliced very thin
¼ cup Real Maple Syrup
¼ cup Champagne Vinegar
1 Tablespoon Sugar
4 ounces Butter
3 ounces Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 bunch Thyme
Kosher Salt
Fresh Pepper
Preserved Lemon Relish
In a small bowl place the chopped preserved lemon, half of the chopped shallots, half of the chives and 2 ounces of the olive oil, mix together, and adjust seasoning if needed.
Roasted Duck
Begin by rubbing the duck down with one teaspoon of olive oil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper and place the bunch of thyme in the cavity. In a large sauté pan sear the duck until golden brown, about 5 minutes, then place on a roasting rack. With a pastry brush, “paint” the duck with the maple syrup. Place the duck in a pre-heated 325-degree oven. Cook to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. While the duck is roasting, start prepping the remaining items. Once the duck is roasted, hold in a warm area.
Squash Gastrique
For the squash gastrique, place the squash in a medium-size pot with the sugar and vinegar, cover with water, and add seasonings. Simmer for 15 minutes or until the squash is tender. Remove from the water and puree using some of the pickling liquid, the puree should be thick, not too thin. Reserve warm.
Chestnut Compote
In a large sauté pan over medium heat add the butter, remaining shallots, and chestnuts. Season with salt and pepper and sauté until golden brown; add the currants and cook for another two minutes. Adjust seasoning and add the remaining chives. Reserve warm.
Plating
Now that all the components are done and the duck is roasted, begin by carving the duck. Remove the thigh and breast; slice each into 4 to 5 pieces. On a large pre-heated plate make a swoosh of the squash gastrique, then place a scoop of the chestnut compote in the center. Arrange the duck breast and thighs around the compote; repeat for the remaining dishes. Finally, drizzle the preserved lemon vinaigrette around the plate and on the duck.
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Pomegranate Glazed Liberty Farms Duck with Pickled Dried Cherries, Toasted Hazelnuts, and Caramelized Sweet Potato
This dish was created to go with the amazing wines of Bob Cabral. The 2015 Troubadour Pinot Noir balances perfectly with the sweet cherry notes and the sweet pomegranate glaze.
Ingredients
1 ea Whole Fresh Liberty Farms Duck, cleaned and tied (ask your local butcher)
1 cup Tart Dried Cherries
4 ounces Pinot Noir (you can use Bob’s wine of course!)
1 tablespoon Sugar
1 ounce Red Verjus
½ cup Hazelnuts, peeled and toasted
3 each Large Sweet Potatoes or Yam; Peeled and cut into 1” Cubes
4 ounces Pomegranate Molasses
1 bunch Thyme
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Kosher Salt
Fresh Pepper
Tart Cherry Relish
In a small pot combine the red verjus, sugar, and wine. Bring to a boil and reduce by about half, then add the dried cherries. Simmer for two minutes, then cool and reserve in the refrigerator overnight or for a couple hours. To finish the relish, first drain the liquid off the cherries then place the cherries in a bowl and combine the hazelnut and season with Extra Virgin Olive Oil, salt and fresh pepper. Reserve the residual cherry liquid.
Roasted Duck
Begin by rubbing the duck down with one teaspoon of olive oil. Season with salt and fresh ground pepper and place the bunch of thyme in the cavity. In a large sauté pan sear the duck until golden brown, about 5 minutes. Toss the sweet potatoes in a little olive oil and season, then on a roasting rack add the duck on top. With a pastry brush, “paint” the duck with the pomegranate molasses. Place the duck in a pre-heated 325-degree oven. Cook the duck to an internal temperature of 145 degrees. While the duck is roasting, periodically re-glaze as needed. Once the duck is roasted, hold in a warm area.
Plating
Now that all the components are done and the duck is roasted, begin by carving the duck. Remove the thigh and breast; slice breast into 4 to 5 pieces and remove the larger pieces of leg meat. On a large pre-heated plate place the cherry relish in the center of the center. Place the sweet potatoes around the cherries then arrange the duck breast and thigh meat, repeat for the remaining dishes. Finally, drizzle the remaining cherry liquid on top of the duck and around the plate.
