Adobo Spiced Duck Breast

Howsoon Cham's chile spice rub is packed with a Mexican-Mayan punch. Here the owner-chef of Red Ginger and Café Tropé uses it on festive duck breast but you can try it just as successfully with chicken, meat or fish and left-overs will keep in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.

Serves one.

1 8-ounce duck breast
8 ounces dried Ancho chiles
1 large onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and chopped
4 ounces Anaheim chiles
1 ounce olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 cup fresh oregano, roughly chopped
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup white chocolate, shaved or grated
2 ounces piloncillo (from Caribbean markets) or dark molasses
Salt to taste

Quinoa (optional) 

Soak the Ancho chiles overnight in cold water to soften. Remove the chiles and set aside the soaking liquid. Peel the chiles and remove the seeds.

Sauté the onion, garlic, Ancho and Anaheim chiles in the olive oil. Add the cumin, oregano and vinegar and enough of the remaining soaking liquid to cover. Bring to a boil and cook until the vinegar mellows. Add the chocolate and the piloncillo, and stir until completely dissolved. When all ingredients are well combined, place in a food processor and blend until smooth.

Preheat an oven to 375 degrees.

Rub three teaspoons of the above mixture into the duck breast and roast six to eight minutes to make it medium rare.

Allow to rest in a warm place five to 10 minutes then carve in half inch slices and serve over a bed of quinoa.

The remaining spice mixture will keep in a lidded glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.

This recipe first appeared  

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