Crispy Duck Breast Tacos

Having parents from Central America, I was spoiled with fantastic Taco Tuesdays. Handmade tortillas, homemade salsa, and the best marinated Carne Asada ever! All of that is delicious but I am also about trying something different: Crispy Duck Breast Tacos!

I always thought duck would be way too dry and chewy for my taste… I obviously never tried good duck, right?! Well, the best duck I ever had was at a small restaurant in Tulsa, Oklahoma named Juniper. It is a farm-to-table restaurant located right in Downtown Tulsa. I have only gone to this place one time and to this day I will tell everyone about it whenever I get a chance. When I talk about mindful eating, this is the place for it. I mean, their butter was even the best I ever had that day. It was a house-made beet butter that I am still trying to perfect myself. I have to admit, their consistently changing menu is always an inspiration.

For this recipe, I included a little bit of my culture with a splash of Juniper inspiration. Crispy duck breast, blackberry chipotle sauce, pickled onions and of course, homemade fresh tortillas.

Ingredients

Pickled Onions

• 1 large red onion, thinly sliced
• 1 C warm water
• 1/2 C apple cider vinegar
• 1 Tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)
• 1/2 tsp salt

Blackberry Chipotle Sauce

• 1 1/2 C fresh Blackberries
• 2 Tbsp Chipotle in adobo sauce
• 1 tsp olive oil
• 1 shallot, diced
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 1/2 small lemon, juiced
• 2 Tbsp coconut sugar (or brown sugar)

Homemade Tortillas (Store bought tortillas work too but if you are willing, these are super easy!!)

• 2 Cups Maseca flour
• 3/4 C water
• 1/2 C chicken broth
• 1/2 tsp salt
• optional: 1/2 tsp Sazon Goya (coriander & annatto seasoning)

Duck Breast

• Duck breast (each duck breast is enough for about 3 tacos)
• Kosher salt & pepper

Directions

1. PICKLED ONIONS:
   • Place your thinly sliced onions in a pint jar. Separately whisk remaining ingredients together and pour over onions. Place in fridge until cooled, about an hour. For best results, place in fridge overnight.
2. BLACKBERRY CHIPOTLE SAUCE:
   • In a small saucepan, begin by heating up your olive oil. Add shallot & garlic and sauté for 1 minute.
   • In a food processor, add the blackberries, chipotle, and adobo. Process until smooth.
   • Strain over your shallot & garlic.
   • Stir in your lemon juice and sugar and whisk until sugar is dissolved.
   • Simmer, stirring occasionally, until reduced by 1/3 and slightly thickened.
3. TORTILLAS: (Store bought tortillas work but if you would like to make your own, here are the instructions!)
   • In a large mixing bowl, mix all ingredients using your hand. Knead for about 3 minutes until smooth and elastic.
   • Roll into golf ball sizes.
   • Flatten the balls using a tortilla press or hand roll. Be sure to line each side of the dough ball with plastic or Ziploc pieces if using a tortilla press or it will stick to your press.
   • Heat your skillet over medium high heat. Add your tortilla. Cook each side for 1 minute until light brown spots form.
   • You can keep warm by wrapping tortillas in a tea towel until ready to serve!
4. DUCK BREAST:
   • Preheat oven to 390
   • Pat dry and season both sides well with Kosher Salt and pepper.
   • Place the breasts fat side down on a cold oven safe pan and turn the heat on to medium high heat.
   • Sear fat side for about 6 min, flip and sear for another 3 minutes
   • Flip back to fat side and immediately put into oven for 6-8 minutes
   • Remove from pan and let rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing
5. TO SERVE: Grab a tortilla, smear about 1 Tbsp of blackberry chipotle sauce, top with 3 slices of crispy duck breast, top with your pickled onions and a few strips of cucumber. Enjoy!