Chef Michael Pelton of the Windham Hill Inn (Windham, Vermont) strives to produce the best seasonally available and locally available meals.  Today, he shares two of those wonderful meals with us: Pan seared Vermont duck breast with dried cherry gastric, basmati and wild rice pilaf, wilted spinach and toasted almonds; and Moroccan spiced all natural rack of lamb with white vegetable compote, fondue of potato and parmesan and olive and orange jam.  At the inn, Chef Pelton chooses vegetables from their garden and local meats to create these dishes.  At home, try locally available ingredients for the best results.

Pan seared Vermont duck breast with dried cherry gastric, basmati and wild rice pilaf, wilted spinach and toasted almonds

Duck breast

Trim the duck breast removing as much of the excess fat as possible, leaving the skin on the breast.  Pat dry with a  towel and sear the breast, skin side down, using medium heat until golden brown, turn over and roast in the oven at 450 deg F for ten minutes or until rare.  Remove from heat and let rest for five to ten minutes.  Remove the skin from the breast carefully and cut into thin strips.  Render these strips over medium heat until crispy but not burnt.  Place on a paper towel to remove excess grease and reserve for garnish.

Gastric

Make caramel using 1 cup of sugar and ¼ c water. When golden color is achieved (or an approximate temp of 320 deg F) carefully add 1 cup Cider vinegar and 1 c apple cider.  Bring this to a boil and reduce by half.  Add 3 c veal stock, ¾ c dried cherries.  Reduce by half.  Season with salt and pepper.  When ready to sauce duck, whisk in 1 oz cold unsalted butter.

Basmati and Wild Rice Pilaf

Combine the results of the following two recipes.  Season with salt and pepper, fold in 1 pat of butter. Enjoy.

Basmati Pilaf

Sweat 1 minced onion and 1 small diced carrot in butter and then add 1 ½ c rinsed (and patted dry between two towels) basmati rice.  Cook with low heat until rice starts to crackle.  Add 2 c boiling water and 2 c boiling poultry stock, 1 bay leaf, and 2 T fresh thyme.   Cover and bake 20 minutes in a 350 deg F oven.

Wild Rice

Rinse 1 ½ c wild rice in cold water.  Sweat ½ onions in butter.  Add rice, 4 c water, and 1 bay leaf.  Simmer on low heat covered until rice is just starting to crack open.  Adjust water if necessary.  Drain well.

Wilted Spinach

Sweat 1 minced shallot and 1 clove of minced garlic and 1 pat of unsalted butter on low to medium heat.  Add 2 large handfuls of washed and de-stemmed spinach.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Increase heat to high. Stir spinach being careful that it does not burn.  When properly wilted remove from heat and drain well in strainer, serve.

Almonds

Spread almonds on a cookie sheet.  Place in a 350 deg F oven and roast until light golden brown.  Approximately 5-10 minutes. 

Moroccan spiced all natural rack of lamb with white vegetable compote, fondue of potato and parmesan and olive and orange jam.

Lamb Rack

Trim the rack into equal 4 bone units, removing excessive fat from the upper part of the bones, as well as any connective tissue found on the exterior of the eye.  Do not remove too much of the fat from the meat as this helps retain the moisture in the meat.  Rub with the Moroccan seasoning listed below and allow to marinate overnight.  When you are ready to cook, season them with salt and pepper to taste and sear the rack in a heavy pan with grape seed oil until golden brown and place in a 450 deg F oven until cooked just under desired doneness approx 10-15 minutes.  The time will vary depending on the size racks you have, I do not recommend cooking this cut of meat beyond medium however due to the amount of marbling found in this cut.  Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes.  This will allow the juices to redistribute properly in the meat and to finish cooking.  Slice and serve.

Rub

This rub will keep well in a well sealed ziploc bag for up to a week.  Combine the following.

• 5 t lemon zest
• 5 sprigs rosemary, minced fine
• 10 sage leaves, minced fine
• 15 leaves basil, minced fine
• 5 star anise, ground
• 5 t ground ginger
• 10 cloves garlic, minced fine
• 5 t coriander seed, ground
• 5 t cinnamon, ground

White Vegetable Compote

Peel and dice 1 small celery boule. Sweat over low heat with butter in a heavy pot.  Add the Chiffonade, the white of one leek (which has been washed well to remove the sand).  When leek starts to soften season with salt and pepper and add two minced shallots and 2 crushed garlic cloves ,continue sweating covered until all vegetables are soft. Add ¼ c poultry stock and reduce until dry.  Finish with a pat of unsalted butter, season and enjoy.

Fondue of Potato and Parmesan

Butter a heavy baking dish.  Smear 1 clove of crushed garlic over entire surface.  Shingle with thinly sliced peeled potato.  Salt and pepper.  Add enough heavy cream to cover potatoes half way.  Sprinkle with parmesan.  Bake until golden brown in a 400 deg F oven. Approx 15 min.

Orange and Olive Jam

Caramelize 1 c sugar and ¼ c water, remove from the heat. Carefully add ½ c white balsamic vinegar to arrest cooking, and then add the Supremes of four oranges and 1 c orange juice and return to medium heat.  Cook until the temperature reaches 240 deg F. Remove from the heat, add ½ chopped dry cured Italian olives and 1 t of fresh thyme.  Cool immediately.

About Windham Hill Inn

Dining at the Windham Hill Inn is an artful experience. Crafted with skill and care, our meals are ones to remember – from our hearty breakfasts to our delectable dinners.  It is difficult to imagine a more beautiful, natural setting to serve as the backdrop for a romantic getaway. We strive to produce the best seasonally available and locally available meals possible.  From our garden in the summer and the fields of our friendly Vermont farmers, we produce bright and scrumptious meals.  We also work with our distributors to always select the best quality of all natural U.S. grown meats at our disposal ensuring the best possible meals.

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