in the kitchen x vacherin mont blanc with a twist

Vacherin mont blanc is a classic dessert of meringue & chestnut cream layers. Topped with some warm poached cherries, it's the perfect winter indulgence. While this dessert is great on it's own, I wanted to add my own twist to this classic. Why not duck? Chestnut and cherries go perfectly with duck. I added crispy duck skin as a garnish that would change the dimension of the dish, with the vacherin still the main focus. This dessert is comprised of meringue shards, chestnut cream, cherries poached in spiced wine, and crispy duck skin that was glazed in passion fruit. This is a light and creamy dessert, with cherries that are sweet & spiced. The glazed duck skin acts like bacon on top, with an acidic touch. An unassuming dessert, with a twist.

in the kitchen x duck, orange, & rice dessert

I'd never thought I would write duck, orange, & rice as a dessert title. Then again, I never thought I would make roasted duck as an ice cream flavor. The other night, my boyfriend and I, craving peking duck, headed to Chinatown to settle our cravings. Eating the duck was my inspiration. This dish is roasted duck ice cream, orange cake, puffed rice chips, mascarpone brown sugar, and micro greens. I love making ice cream, so I was really set on making a roasted duck ice cream. I roasted a whole duck, removed the skin, and infused the entire duck overnight in milk and cream. After straining the duck out, I added spices and duck fat to round out the flavor. I wanted to use citrus for acidity to balance out the richness of the duck, hence the orange cake. Adding zest, juice, and segments to the batter really adds the acidity needed to counteract the ice cream. Puffed rice chips are nutty and add a crunchy element to the dish. Be warned that they are addictive to munch on throughout the day! The sauce holds it all together with extra sweetness. I have to say, I was really nervous about making a savory dessert. The entire time I was working on this dish, people kept coming up to me to ask how it was turning out. No one really knows what to expect out of a poultry ice cream. But I have to say, I am happy with how it turned out. Stay tuned for the second duck inspired dessert!