Duck Doughnuts with Apple Honey Sauce

From: Executive chef Geoff Kelty, Eddie Merlot’s Prime Beef & Seafood, Columbus, OH. This recipe received Grand Prize honors in the 2013 Discover Duck Recipe Contest. Yield: 3 servings.

Red Onion Jam:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
5 oz. red onion, julienned
¼ tsp. kosher salt
2 Tbsp. red wine
1 Tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 Tbsp. honey
¼ tsp. lemon zest
½ Tbsp. thyme, chopped
¼ tsp. black pepper

Seared Duck Breast:
1 5- to 6-oz. duck breast
½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. black pepper
1 Tbsp. olive oil
2 Tbsp. cooked bacon, minced
¼ cup duck confit meat, diced ¼”
1 tube store-bought buttermilk biscuits (about 10 each)

Sauce:
½ cup Granny Smith Apple, peeled and minced
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 Tbsp. brandy
¼ cup honey

For onion jam: In large saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Add onions and salt; cook for 10 minutes, or until caramelized to a light golden brown. Add red wine and red wine vinegar; cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add brown sugar and honey; reduce heat to low. Cook mixture slowly until it is syrupy. Remove from heat an stir in remaining ingredients. Cool to room temperature and set aside.

For apple honey sauce: Heat butter in small sauté pan over medium heat. Add apples to pan and cook for 1 minute, or until apples are soft. Add brown sugar and continue to cook until all sugar is dissolved. Add brandy and flambé. Once the fire is out, reduce heat to low and add honey. Bring sauce to a simmer; remove from heat. Cool to room temperature and set aside.

For seared duck breasts: In medium saucepan over medium heat, heat the olive oil. Using a sharp knife, score skins of duck breast 4 times; pat dry with a paper towel. Season duck with salt and pepper and place skin-side down into skillet. Reduce heat so fat slowly renders from the duck breast and skin gets crispy. Increase heat to high and flip duck breasts over; continue to cook 1 additional minute. Remove duck from pan and let cool to room temperature. Reserve the duck fat.

For doughnuts: In small mixing bowl, combine ¼ cup red onion jam, bacon and confit meat. Chop duck breast into fine pieces and add to mixture. Add 1 Tbsp. reserved duck fat to mixture and mix thoroughly. Remove the biscuits from their container and place them individually on cutting board. Flatten all biscuits and palce 1 Tbsp. duck mixture in center of each biscuit. Seal duck mixture inside biscuit and roll each into a ball. Make sure there are no open holes in the raw doughnuts.

Heat fryer to 350°F. Drop raw doughnuts into the fryer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, turning often. Remove doughnuts from fryer and drain on paper towels. Place doughnuts on 2 or 3 plates and drizzle each plate with apple honey sauce. Garnish each plate with fresh micro greens and serve.