Cookbook Review: Heartland by Judith Fertig ...and Grilled Duck Breast w/ Wild Rice-Dried Cherry Pilaf

"The Heartland, or Midwest, is the center section of the United States, which also happens to be its agricultural core."  This is a line from the introduction to Heartland: The Cookbook by Judith Fertig.  As much a coffee table book as a cookbook, it is filled with beautiful, candid photographs of the food, the people, the land, and life throughout the Midwest.  The recipes span from breakfast to late night snack using the fruits (and meats and grains and veggies and nuts) grown and raised throughout the Midwest.  As a girl raised in the midst of all this glory, I was immediately drawn to this book.  Features on family farmers and sources for milk from grass-fed cows and descriptions of Heartland beef cattle breeds are interspersed amongst quotes from familiar names and tons of fun historical tidbits about what comes from this land.  This book has earned its place on my coffee table and winds up in the hands of every person that sits on the sofa...unsuspecting at first, but shortly enthralled.

Of course I have numerous strips of paper sticking from the top and bottom of the book, marking future kitchen endeavors like Farmhouse Breakfast Sausage, Smoked Gouda, Hunter's Pie w/ Buttery Mashed Potatoes, and Root Beer Funnel Cakes just to name a few.  The Honey Buns I made a few days ago were adapted from the No-Knead Clover Honey Dough and Cider-Glazed Cinnamon Rolls.  I thought another thing I'd make right away was a recipe using duck, so that I could use some beautiful duck breasts raised right here in Indiana.

Grilled Duck Breast with Wild Rice-Dried Cherry Pilaf

from Heartland by Judith Fertig

serves 4

Sorghum-Lime Grilling Paste:

2 cloves garlic, minced

juice & grated zest of 1 lime

2 Tbs. sorghum syrup or dark brown sugar

4 boneless duck breast halves

fine kosher or sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

Wild Rice-Dried Cherry Pilaf:

2 Tbs. lard or oil I used rendered duck fat

1 medium onion, chopped

1 c. wild rice

3 c. chicken broth

½ c. long-grain white rice

½ c. dried cherries

1 Tbs. sorghum syrup or honey

fine kosher or sea salt

freshly ground black pepper

For the grilling paste, whisk the garlic, lime zest, and juice, and sorghum together.  Score the fat on each duck breast half, then season with salt and pepper and brush with grilling paste.  Let marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.

Meanwhile, prepare a medium-hot fire in your grill, and make the pilaf.  In a large saucepan, heat the fat over medium-high heat and sauté onion until translucent, ~4 minutes.  Add wild rice and broth, bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer, covered, for 20 minutes.  Add white rice, dried cherries, and sorghum.  Cover again and cook for 20 minutes, or until all the rice is tender.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and keep warm.

Grill duck breasts, fat side down, for ~4 minutes, keeping a spray bottle filled w/ water handy in case of flare-ups.  Turn and continue grilling for another few minutes, or until duck reaches an internal temp. of 140-145° F for medium-rare.  I cooked ours a bit longer because everybody in this house, aside from me, freaks out at the mere mention of red meat. Ugh.  Transfer to a platter and let breasts rest for 5 minutes before slicing.  

Slice on the diagonal and serve with pilaf.

You see the Heartland "in the mysterious deep green gloom as you wander into an Indiana cornfield."

*I received a free copy of this book from the publisher to review, should I choose. All opinions stated in this post are 100% mine.
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