Recipe of the week: An autumn feast from Jackson Hole

Smoked duck is always a fall specialty at the Rusty Parrot Lodge & Spa in Jackson Hole, Wyo. Of course, most home cooks don’t own a smoker, say Darla Worden and Eliza Cross in The Rusty Parrot Cookbook (Gibbs Smith). So “this recipe utilizes a quick-smoking method.” The duck can be accompanied by sweet-sour cabbage and sweet-potato gnocchi.

Recipe of the week

Rosemary- and Green Tea–Smoked Duck Breast

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For duck:

6 fresh rosemary sprigs

1 tbsp loose green tea

6 duck breasts

1⁄2 tsp salt

1⁄2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

Use heavy-bottomed ovenproof pan with fitted resting rack; put it on stovetop over low heat. Add rosemary and green tea directly to bottom of pan; fit resting rack with duck breast on top; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Cover pan with foil; make two pinholes. Keep heat on low until smoke comes through holes. Make sure to move pan evenly on burner. Smoke for 5 minutes, then pull off heat; let sit covered for 5 minutes. Remove duck; discard rosemary and green tea. In separate cold sauté pan, place duck breast fat-side down; render on medium heat.

For cabbage:

4 tbsp butter

3 cinnamon sticks

1 head purple cabbage, sliced

1⁄4 cup raspberry vinegar

1 cup water

1⁄4 cup sugar

Melt butter in large saucepan with cinnamon sticks. Add cabbage; cook over medium heat 5 minutes. Deglaze with vinegar; add water and sugar. Cook on low heat, 25–30 minutes, until liquid is reduced by 90 percent. Remove cinnamon sticks; set aside.

For jus:

2 cups pomegranate jus

1⁄2 cup veal stock

Combine in saucepan, simmer over medium heat 30 minutes until mixture is reduced to about 1 cup; set aside, keep warm.

For gnocchi:

1 large sweet potato

1 cup grated Sage Derby cheese

1 egg

3⁄4 cup flour

1 tsp salt, divided

1 quart water

2 tbsp butter

Bake sweet potato at 350 degrees for 1 to 1-1⁄2 hours until tender and cooked thoroughly. Peel and mash sweet potato; in medium bowl, mix it with cheese, egg, flour, 1⁄2 tsp salt to make dough. Wrap dough in plastic wrap; chill for 20 minutes. Heat tall-sided saucepan with water and remaining 1⁄2 tsp salt; bring to boil. Once dough is chilled, roll it out on floured work surface into 3⁄4-inch ropes. Cut each rope into 1-inch pieces; press each piece of dough against tines of fork to create ridges. Create ice bath. Working in batches, cook gnocchi in pan of boiling water until they float, about 2 minutes. Shock cooked gnocchi immediately in ice bath for 3 minutes; drain. Heat sauté pan with butter; sauté gnocchi for 3–4 minutes until golden brown and crisp on at least one side.

To serve: Use large, low-sided bowl for each serving. Spoon some cabbage in center. Slice warm duck on bias into 4 pieces. Fan duck around one side of cabbage. Arrange gnocchi on opposite side, ladle jus around gnocchi and on duck breast. Serves 6.