Duck Parm
Zach Anderson for SPLIT REED
Every duck hunter should have a few different recipes in their go-to repertoire, and our friend Zach has delivered a great one with this Puddle Duck Parm recipe, sure to impress friends and tastebuds alike!
Ingredients:
Olive Oil (2 TBS)
1 Onion
5 Cloves Garlic
Chopped Basil (3 TBS)
Chopped Oregano (3 TBS)
Chopped Thyme (2 TBS)
1 Can Tomato Sauce
1 Can Petite Diced Tomatoes
Red Pepper Flakes (1 TBS)
Honey (1/3 Cup)
Ritz Crackers (1-2 Sleeves)
Parmesan Cheese
AP Flour (1 Cup)
3 Eggs
1 Box Angel Hair Pasta
Salt
Pepper
Smoked Paprika
The Sauce:
I recommend making the sauce a few hours before you’re ready to eat. The longer it simmers, the better it will taste. That being said, if you’re short on time, prepare the sauce as your first step so it has a little time to simmer.
Warm a saucepan on medium heat and add olive oil. Let the pan/oil get hot and add your diced onion. Let the onion cook for a minute or two until it starts to become translucent. Then add your minced garlic, chopped herbs, and pepper flakes. Stir the ingredients together and let cook/mingle for a minute or two. Turn the heat low and add tomato sauce, diced tomatoes, and honey. Stir together, salt to taste, and cover. Remember to stir occasionally as you have time while bringing the rest of the meal together.
The Duck:
Dry your duck breast off with a paper towel and set it on a cutting board. Cover breasts with a sheet of plastic wrap and pound them out with a tenderizing hammer. If you don’t have a tenderizing hammer, you can use a rolling pin or something of the sort. If you do not have anything in the kitchen, hit the garage. I’ve used a framing hammer in a pinch, just make sure to wash it thoroughly before pounding. Gently pound the breasts to roughly 1/2” thick. Be careful because they can turn into hamburger pretty easily. Once you’ve pounded the breasts out, prepare your flour. I usually put the flour in a gallon ziplock. Add flour, a healthy amount of salt and pepper, and a TBS of smoked paprika. Add pounded breasts to the bag of seasoned flour. Seal the bag and shake. This will coat the breasts. Next, crack your eggs into a bowl and whisk them. Set that aside and smash your crackers onto a cookie sheet or a plate.
Now you're ready to heat a pan for frying. You can shallow fry or deep fry these breasts but I’d recommend deep frying because it cuts down the cooking time and allows for a better chance at that medium-rare breast. Add a good amount of peanut oil to a pot and heat up to 325-350 degrees.
*take a second here to start boiling some water for your pasta. Don’t forget to salt your pasta water!*
Next, you’ll coat the breasts. Take your flour-coated breasts and dip them into the whisked eggs. Then, push them down into the smashed Ritz crackers. Coat the breasts evenly with the crackers and slowly lower them into the hot oil. Let them fry until you get a nice golden color and remove them. Lay a few paper towels out on a plate so the breast can drain excess grease onto the paper towels.
From the plate, you’ll put the breasts onto a baking sheet and top them with a good helping of shredded parmesan cheese. Put them into a 350-degree oven.
THE Pasta:
Into your boiling, salted water, add the angel hair pasta and cook to al dente. (There should be directions on the package for timing)
Drain your pasta then add half or a little more of your red sauce the the pasta and toss in the pot.
The Plating:
To Finish, put your pasta onto the plate and add another spoonful of the remaining sauce, next to it, add your duck breast with the melted cheese and spoon sauce on top of it also. Serve with a Caesar salad and/or garlic bread. Garnish your duck breast with a couple of leaves of fresh basil if you’d like, and enjoy!
Click on Zach to find him on Instagram!