Duck Wellington

By James Ono (SEA)

A wellington may seem intimidating and complex. While it may be tedious, this recipe is not particularly difficult and can really class up your trophy meal. With the holidays coming up, this is an elegant way to present your duck and impress your guests.

Often a wellington suggests using wild mushrooms but since I am not much of a mushroom picker I was limited to the white or brown mushrooms from the store which will work. Additionally this is traditionally made with Parma ham.  Again, my local grocer did not have Parma ham, but I was able to substitute prosciutto.

You can try to pre-form your duck breasts into a loaf and tightly wrapping them together in cling wrap and twisting the ends and let it sit overnight. I only let mine sit for 30 minutes and the breasts fell apart from each other. Since my breast were separated, I only seared one side so that the center of the wellington would remain medium-rare.

The wellington goes well with a red wine or vinegar reduction sauce. This adds a little bit of acidity that brings a nice brightness to a rich and succulent dish.

Ingredients

• 4 large duck breasts
• 16 oz of mushrooms
• 1 sprig fresh thyme or ¼ tsp of dried thyme leaves
• 8 slices of Parma ham or prosciutto (thin sliced)
• 2 Tbs English Mustard
• 1 sheet puff pastry (thawed)
• 2 egg yolks beaten with 1 Tbs of water and little salt
• Salt and Pepper to Taste

Directions

1. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper
2. Sear the duck breasts on high until they have a nice, browned color (see note above on forming and searing duck breasts)
3. Set breasts aside
4. Finely chop or put the mushrooms in a food processor
5. Add mushrooms, thyme, salt, and pepper to a hot pan
6. Once the mushrooms begin to release their liquid, continue to cook for 10 minutes until they are dry, creating a paste
7. Set the mushrooms aside to cool
8. Lay the Parma ham on a layer of cling film overlapping slightly so there are no gaps and should be large enough to fully wrap the duck breasts (this will hold in the juices from soaking into the pastry)
9. Spread the mushroom paste over the Parma ham
10. Coat the outside of the duck breasts in mustard
11. Place the duck on the mushroom covered ham. (If the breasts are separate, stack them 2x2 lengthwise to try to create a log form)
    
    
12. Use the cling film to help roll to tightly wrap the duck breasts in the mushrooms and ham
13. Twist and fold the ends of the cling film to create a tight uniform log
    
    
14. Chill for 30 minutes
15. Lay the puff pastry on a layer of cling film
16. Brush the pastry with the egg wash
17. Unwrap the duck breast log and place it toward the edge of the pastry
    
    
18. Use the cling film to help wrap the log in the pastry
19. Once fully wrapped, trim any excess pastry and pinch and fold the ends
    
    
20. Brush all over with the egg wash
21. Cover with cling film and chill for 30 minutes
22. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees
23. Score the pastry lightly with the back of a knife (I did a herringbone pattern)
24. Brush with the egg wash again
    
    
25. Bake for 20-25 minutes until the pastry is golden brown
26. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes
27. Carve into thick slices and serve

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