Maple Orange Duck with Mashed Potatoes & Side Salad

Makes 2 servings.

INGREDIENTS:  

• 12 oz Yukon Gold Potatoes 
• 12 oz Duck Breasts 
• ¼ oz Thyme 
• 1 Shallot 
• 5 tsp Red Wine Vinegar 
• 1 Orange 
• 1/2 ounce sliced roasted Almonds 
• 1/2 cup Maple Hill Farm Maple Sugar 
• 1/2 cup Orange Juice 
• 1 TBSP Dijon Mustard and 2 TSP Dijon Mustard      
• 1 TBSP Butter 
• 2 TBSP Sour Cream 
• 2 ounces Arugula 
• 1 TSP Sugar 
• Olive Oil 
• Salt & Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

• Dice potatoes into ½ inch pieces (peel potatoes for a smoother texture). Place in a larger pot with a few thyme springs and enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. 
• Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Reserve ¼ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain and return potatoes to pot. 
• Keep covered off heat until ready to mash.
• Pat duck dry with paper towels: season all over with salt and pepper. 
• Place skin sides down in a large, preferably nonstick, pan. Cook over medium heat, carefully reserving fat in a small bowl as it renders, until skin is crisp, 15-20 minutes. 
• While duck cooks, half and peel shallot: thinly slice one half. Toss shallot in a separate bowl with half of the vinegar, 1 tsp sugar, and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
• Zest orange until you have 1 tsp. Dice remaining orange into ½ inch pieces. 
• Add Maple Hill Farm Maple Sugar, Orange juice, orange zest and 1 TBSP Dijon mustard in a bowl and whisk together. 
• Strip thyme leaves from remaining sprigs until you have 1 tsp roughly chop leaves. 
• Once skin is crisp, flip over duck in the pan and cook until desired doneness. Transfer to a cutting board and rest.      
• Add chopped thyme to pan over medium heat  and cook until fragrant.   
• Stir in Maple Orange Dijon mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook until mixture thickens. Stir in 1 TBSP butter to finish.      
• Heat pot with drained potatoes over  medium-low heat. Mash while adding sour cream and 1 TBSP butter. Stir in some of the reserved potato cooking liquid, if needed. 
• Stir in small amounts of reserved duck fat. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Remove potatoes from heat and cover. 
• In a large bowl, combine pickling liquid from shallot, 2 tsp Dijon mustard, and a drizzle of olive oil with remaining orange zest. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Toss arugula, pickled shallot, diced orange  and almonds. Season with salt and pepper. 
• Slice duck and serve with potatoes and side salad.