This complex cacao blueberry sauce, inspired by a mole negro, is spicy, nutty, sweet, and slightly bitter from the cacao, perfectly complimenting the succulent sous vide duck breast.
Inspired by a Mole Negro
The Oaxaca region of Mexico is home to the best of Mexican cuisine, including seven styles of mole sauce. This cacao blueberry sauce is no mole, but it does draw its inspiration from the mole negro. Its complexity comes from the dried chilli and nuts, the cumin and cinnamon, and of course, the bittersweet cacao and sweet blueberries. While no mole, it is delectable and easy to make at home.
The Oaxaca region is on the food tour bucket list. After really enjoying the Culinary Backstreets tour of Tokyo, I’m very tempted by their Oaxacan tours. Food vlogger Mark Wein’s video on seeking out authentic Mole Negro in Mexico is also inspirational…
After watching that video, you will understand why calling this sauce a mole would be so inappropriate and why so many mole recipes you will find in the recipesphere are misleading. An authentic mole is a remarkable thing. Let that inspire us.
What is the difference between Cacao and Cocoa?
The words sound similar, and these two ingredients come from the same plant, but cacao and cocoa are not the same. They are unique in terms of taste, nutrition, and processing.
To make cacao, cocoa, and therefore chocolate, the beans from cacao pods are scooped out of the pods and fermented with their surrounding pulp. This fermentation is what gives chocolate its unique and fantastic flavour. After the fermentation, the beans are cleaned and dried. And this is where things diverge.
The fermented and dried cacao beans are crushed, producing cacao nibs, or ground to make cacao powder. Alternatively, the beans get roasted first—cocoa butter results from pressing these roasted beans and cocoa powder from grinding them. And of course, at the end of all this, we get chocolate.
If you cannot source cacao powder, substitute with cacao nibs. Alternatively, use 90%+ dark chocolate like this Lindt 99% Cacao.
Sous Vide Duck Breast
Pretty much the only “red” meat I still eat; from my perspective, a perfectly cooked duck breast is way superior to the red meats contributing to our climate crisis. Certainly no stranger to delectabilia, crispy skin sous vide duck breast is also great as a soba topping, in tacos, in this duck phở, and these rice paper wraps. And this sous vide duck breast with blueberry sauce deserves a place in that esteemed list.
No sous vide device? I thought it was all hype for a long time but eventually gave in and purchased an Anova – and never regretted it. Some people go a little overboard with sous vide. It is not for everything. But when used appropriately, nothing can beat this technique.
Sous Vide Duck Breast with Cacao Blueberry Sauce
Ingredients
Duck breasts
- 2 duck breasts
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp 5-spice powder
Blueberry cacao sauce
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil or rendered duck fat
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 jalapéno chilli, seeded and diced or a chilli of a similar mild heat
- 4 cloves garlic, finely diced
- 2 Tbsp chilli flakes
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 Tbsp sesame seeds
- 1 Tbsp tomato paste
- 1 Tbsp flour
- 1 cup brown chicken stock or vegetable stock
- 125 g blueberries, washed and drained
- 1 Tbsp cacao powder as opposed to cocoa powder
- 1 Tbsp almond or cashew butter
- 1 tsp salt
Rice
- Your choice
Garnish
- 125 g blueberries, washed and drained
- Browned shallots
Instructions
Prepare the duck breasts
- Make very shallow cuts into the skin, as deep as it takes to get to the layer of fat, but no deeper. Alternatively, get one of these >. This step allows more fat to render out. Drain off and retain any rendered fat and use some to sauté the garlic when preparing the broth.
- Sprinkle the salt over the top and bottom of the duck breasts.
- Sprinkle the 5-spice powder over the bottom and sides of the duck, massaging into the meat.
- Place the duck breasts uncovered in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or preferably overnight.
Crispy skin duck breast – sous vide
- In a cold skillet add the duck breasts skin side down. Place over a high heat to sear for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the skin has browned.
- Allow to cool then put into sous vide bags.
- Cook the duck 1 hour 30 minutes at 58 degC.
- Remove from the bags and wipe off any juices.
- Place under a broiler for a few minutes to crisp up the skin.
- Allow to rest for 5 minutes, skin side up.
Crispy skin duck breast – traditional
- In a cold skillet add the duck breasts skin side down. Place over a high heat to sear for 2 to 3 minutes.
- Use a spatula to press the breast down flat in order to get an even sear.
- Cook until the skin is golden brown, about 15 minutes. The duck’s internal temperature should be about 52 degC. Drain off and retain rendered fat during this time.
- Turn over the duck breasts and continue cooking until the internal temperature is 58 degC. (or 55 degC if you prefer it closer to medium-rare).
- Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes skin side up.
Blueberry cacao sauce
- Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over a medium heat.
- Add the diced onion and sauté until the onion is soft and just starting to brown.
- Add the diced garlic and diced chilli and sauté until fragrant (1-2 minutes).
- Add the chilli flakes, sesame seeds, cinnamon, cumin, oregano, and tomato paste. Stir until fragrant (another couple of minutes).
- Add the flour and stir the paste that will have formed for another 2-3 minutes.
- Add the stock slowly, stirring constantly.
- Add the nut butter, cacao powder, salt, and blueberries.
- Reduce the heat to a simmer, and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Taste and adjust as necessary – add salt, sugar/honey, cacao powder?
- Transfer the sauce to a deeper container and blend using an immersion blender (or just use a normal blender if you don’t have an immersion blender).
Serving
- Cut the duck breasts into 10mm thick slices.
- Place 3 slices on a plate.
- Spoon on some blueberry cacao sauce.
- Add more blueberries, plus an other garnishes you have selected.