On White Pekin Duckling (NAPS)—Enjoying his recent fame as “America’s Most Exciting Young Chef” (Gourmet magazine) and special guest on The Late Show with David Letterman, Rocco DiSpirito has been doing a lot of talking lately. And now,he is talking up White Pekin duckling. As chef spokesperson for The Duckling Council, DiSpirito has a lot to say on the merits of White Pekin duckling. Duckling has been a partof his repertoire since day one of his culinary training and an“adored” selection on his menu at the acclaimed Manhattan-based Union Pacific restaurant. By incorporating global ingre- dients and ethnic flavors to give his cooking a style of its own, DiSpirito describes his style of cuisine as “contemporary American cuisine”—contemporary with a solid foundation of French classic cooking. Using the four recep- tors of the palate, salt, sweet, sour andbitter, DiSpirito is able to create unique, signature flavor com- binations by selecting ingredients that bring those sensationstolife. “T take a lot of cues from Indian and South American cuisine—pro- Preheat oven at 350. viding tension on thepalate,” said Trim duck breasts if necessary. Place in pan. In a sepa- ments this style with its unique wine vinegar, red wine, olive oil, bay leaf, thyme and shal- finds the flavor of White Pekin very mild, allowing him to be cre- per. Pour on duck and marinate for 30 minutes. DiSpirito. White Pekin duckling comple- flavor and versatility. DiSpirito ative when combining duckling with other ingredients. “White Pekin is one of the most tender duckling breeds available. I pair it with a variety of spices and fruits to create savory dishes,” said DiSpirito. Duck Breast And Fig Salad rate bowl, mix % of the red lots. Season with salt and pep- Trim top portion of the stem on figs. Season with pepper. Place in pan and add remain- ing red wine vinegar and red wine. Hold aside. Heat up grill. Grill duck until cooked to desired doneness. Brush with marinade while grilling. Reserve leftover marinade and With A Red WineVinaigrette heat on stove until just a boil. 5 White Pekin duck breasts, Hold aside. Take duck off grill and let rest. Place figs on grill boned and halved \% cup red wine vinegar \% cup red wine 1 cup oliveoil 1 fresh bay leaf 1 sprig of fresh thyme 2 teaspoonsshallots, minced salt and pepperto taste 5 fresh figs (or pears) cut in half 1 pound arugula % poundchestnuts, blanched Continue to boil for 1 minute. to warm,skin side down. Slice duck on the bias. Divide arugula in to 5 portions and put on plate. Place duck and figs on top. Sprinkle with blanched chestnuts. Drizzle cooked marinade over duck, figs and greens. Yield: 5 servings. For more duckling recipes, visit www.duckling.org.
