THE PERFECT BITE (AND DUCK CARBONARA) INSPIRED BY YOU

For the The Perfect Bite: Chicken, Potatoes, Carrots & Balsamic Reduction

Start by butterflying the chicken. Snip out the spine and place a strategic cut at the base of the breastbone so that you can crack it open and lay it out flat.

Run your fingers underneath the skin, separating the skin from the meat.

Combine finely minced herbs (parsley, rosemary, thyme) with butter. Add a pinch of kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Mash together until fully mixed.

Once the butter and herbs are homogenous, start rub the butter underneath the skin. This seasons the meat. Also rub the butter on the outside of the bird, to be true to the show. Once covered, start poking the chicken all (over especially the fat deposits), which will help the fat better render out as it roasts.

On a baking sheet, lay the chicken on top of halved heads of garlic and thick slices of lemon. Rub the chicken down with more butter before placing the pan into a 450°F oven for about 45 minutes.

In a pot, place a handful of yellow fingerling potatoes in cold water and then bring to a boil. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until a paring knife enters with ease. Place potatoes onto a rimmed baking sheet to cool off for about 10 minutes. Once cooled off, place another rimmed baking sheet on top and squash them by pressing down. This will make them crispy when fried.

Place canola or vegetable oil in a small saute pan with some crushed cloves of garlic and fresh herbs of choice. Cook over medium-low heat until bubbling and the garlic is lightly browned. Strain the oil into the intended potato cooking pot. Bring the oil up to 375°F. Drop in the potatoes and fry, flipping after 2-3 minutes, or until golden brown.

Let the potatoes drain on a wire rack and keep them in a low oven to keep them warm while finishing cooking the rest of the ‘perfect bite’.

Using the fried garlic from the oil, make a flavor paste by combining the garlic with some freshly grated lemon zest. Place into a large bowl along with the potatoes, a pinch of kosher salt, and a few twists of freshly ground black pepper. Toss until completely seasoned

For the carrots

Peel carrots (chop in half if they’re a little too thick) and place onto a rimmed baking sheet with a little olive oil, kosher salt, and some freshly ground black pepper tossing to combine. Once combined, place into a 400°F oven for 30 minutes until nicely browned.

After 45 minutes or when the thickest part of chicken registers at 155°F, let the chicken rest for at least 30 minutes at room temperature uncovered.

For the balsamic reduction

Before plating up, carve up your chicken by cutting it in half at the breastbone. Slice a skin-on boneless breast to plate alongside the crispy potatoes and carrots. Top with balsamic reduction (maybe).

For the Duck Carbonara

First, cure some duck eggs yolks by mixing equal amounts of kosher salt and sugar. Pour the salt/sugar mixture into a pie plate, making little divots to place the egg yolks. Add duck egg yolks into their respective divots and top them with more of the sugar/salt mixture.

Once the duck egg yolks are covered in sugar and salt, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 3 days, and up to 6 days.

After their salt cure, the yolks will have firmed up considerably. In order to grate them like cheese, place into a low oven or dehydrator at 150°F for 2 hours, until dry and firm throughout.

Now it’s time to to cure the duck breasts. Start by combining kosher salt and freshly ground pepper, granulated sugar, maple syrup (or blackstrap molasses), and pink curing salt (or prog powder number 1).

To this we’re going to add about distilled room-temperature water and whisk until most of the particulate is all but dissolved.

In a pie pan, place duck breasts and pour the duck cure over the breasts until they are submerged. Wrap the whole thing in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least a day and up to 3 days, and flipping every 12 hours. After a few days your duck breasts should have firmed up significantly the same way that pork belly would.

Thoroughly rinse and pat the breasts dry before smoking them.

Prepare your smoking method of choice. I’m using a stovetop smoker with some cherry and applewood chips. I’ve wrapped the stovetop smoker tightly in aluminium foil. I’m letting it cook at about 225°F for about 2 hours until the thickest part of the breast registers at 150°F. Once finished, place in the fridge and let chill completely before using.

For the duck egg pasta

Mix all-purpose flour and durum semolina flour, kosher salt and whisk together. Make a well in the center, and crack duck eggs (should be about 120 g). If the eggs didn’t weigh enough, make up the weight with olive oil. Beat into a slurry using a fork, taking in little bits of flour with each turn, until it’s nice and thick and ready to be mixed by a paddle.

Mix this all together in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment for 1-2 minutes, until all the liquid has been absorbed by the flour, but it’s still pretty dry and crumbly. Wrap in plastic wrap and let it rest for 20 minutes before kneading by hand into a smooth taut ball.

Extrude the pasta dough through an extruder into your desired shape.

Once you have extruded all of your pasta into your preferred shape, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use or freeze for a later date.

Cut up your duck bacon into large chunks and place it into a cold pan and slowly crisp over medium heat in order to render out as much fat as possible.

Meanwhile, to make the carbonara custard, crack duck eggs plus extra duck egg yolk and beat until homogenous. Add freshly grated pecorino romano cheese along with a few twists of freshly ground pepper and beat to combine.

Once the bacon is crisp, add cloves of crushed garlic to the pan, cooking for 1 minute over medium-low heat until fragrant. While that is going, add the pasta to boiling water for no longer than 90 seconds. Kill the heat under the frying pan and the pasta to the frying pan and toss in the duck bacon and duck bacon fat.

In a preheated metal bowl, pour the pasta along with the egg and cheese mixture, also a generous pinch of kosher salt and a ¼ cup of pasta cooking water (more if necessary). Toss this rigorously.

Twist into pretty little nests with a carving fork and soup ladle then generously grate our cured duck egg yolks over top before eating.