Drawing on some techniques from Mexico and some flavours from Hong Kong, this duck taco recipe with roast pumpkin and beans and XO sauce is as bold as it is complex.
Score the duck skin diagonally at 5-10mm intervals
In a cold heavy pan, preferably a cast iron skillet, lay the duck breast skin down.
Put the skillet over a medium-low heat. After a few minutes you will start to see fat rendering from the duck.
Continue cooking until the skin is a light gold colour. We are going to brown it again, so don’t go too far. Should have accumulated 3-5 Tbsp duck fat. Keep that for roasting the pumpkin.
Allow the duck breasts to cool (while preparing the pumpkin).
Add a sprinkle of salt to each breast and put into individual sous vide bags.
Remove the air and seal with a vacuum sealer, or the immersion method.
Sous vide for 1 hour 30 minutes at 58 degC.
Plunge the bags into cold water until cool enough to handle.
Bring the skillet to a medium heat.
Lay the duck breasts in the skillet again skin side down and sear until golden brown.
Allow to cool and rest for 5 minutes.
Lay skin side down on a cutting board and slice into thin slices.
Roast pumpkin
Preheat the oven to 180 degC.
Cut, de-seed, remove skin, and dice the pumpkin into roughly 15x15mm pieces.
Spread the pumpkin pieces on a baking tray. Drizzle with duck fat. Sprinkle over the cumin, paprika, salt and pepper.
Roast for 50-60 minutes, tossing half way through, until getting caramelised crispy edges.
Drain on paper towels.
In a large bowl gently stir together the white beans and roasted pumpkin. It doesn’t matter if the pumpkin breaks up a bit.
Assembly
Bring a skillet up to a medium heat and smear with some vegetable oil.
Add a tortilla and cook until starting to brown. Turn over and do the same on the other side.
Repeat for each tortilla.
Spoon on some pumpkin and bean mixture.
Add some slices of duck.
Spoon on some XO sauce.
Add some arugula leaves.
Serve. Guests should roll up the tortilla and eat.