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Cooking adventures in a small, closet sized, kitchen. - I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.

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Duck Tacos with Chipotle Cherry Salsa and Goat Cheese

[heart_this] · Jul 26, 2011 · 28 Comments

Duck Tacos with Chipotle Cherry Salsa and Crumbled Goat Cheese

Duck breast tacos with a chipotle cherry salsa, cabbage and creamy goat cheese.

When I was growing up taco night made a regular appearance in our dinner rotation and taco night always meant ground beef, packet seasoning, lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream and tortillas. It was not until later that I realized that the world of tacos was so much bigger and since then I have been kind of obsessed with them. Gone ore the days of the boring plain old tacos as I joyfully experiment with new kinds of tacos. It is with that in mind that I present to you my latest creation, the duck breast tacos with chipotle cherry salsa and goat cheese.
Not too long ago I made a strawberry salsa and I particularly enjoyed how the strawberries worked in a savoury salsa. Ever since I have been thinking about different ways to use fruits and berries to make salsas. Cherries are in season now and so far I had simply been snacking on copious amounts of them. It was finally time to use them in a recipe and one of the first things that came to mind was to use them in a salsa. You know me; I was not going to just make a salsa and leave it at that, I had to use the salsa in something and my obsession with tacos rose its head and I had the rough outline of a plan.

Duck Tacos with Chipotle Cherry Salsa and Crumbled Goat Cheese
The first question that came to mind was, what meat to use in the tacos? At this point I recalled having seen several recipes for duck breasts served in a cherry sauce and since I had never cooked duck before that immediately made up my mind. With duck chosen as the meet I had a better idea about how I wanted to make the salsa and I quickly fleshed out the recipe by adding fresh basil and a touch of balsamic vinegar to a basic salsa recipe. For the heat I decided to go with chipotle chilies in adobo to add a bit of smokiness to the party. I also decided to puree the salsa to make it more like a sauce. The tacos were almost done and I only needed to round things out by adding some vegetables and some cheese and I went with shredded cabbage tossed lightly in sour cream and creamy goat cheese.

Duck Tacos with Chipotle Cherry Salsa and Crumbled Goat Cheese
The duck breast tacos with chipotle cherry salsa and goat cheese turned out amazingly well! I really enjoyed how the duck cooked and with most of the fat rendered from beneath the skin, the skin became almost like a crispy, tasty bacon wrapping. All of the flavours in the tacos played wonderfully with each other from the magical duck and cherry combo to the balsamic vinegar to the smoky chipotle heat to the creamy and tangy goat cheese which finished the whole thing off perfectly! I certainly am looking forward to enjoying the leftovers!

Chipotle Cherry Salsa

Duck Tacos with Chipotle Cherry Salsa and Crumbled Goat Cheese

Duck Tacos with Chipotle Cherry Salsa and Crumbled Goat Cheese

Prep Time: 15 minutes Cook Time: 15 minutes Total Time: 30 minutes Servings: 4

Duck breast tacos with a chipotle cherry salsa, cabbage and creamy goat cheese.

ingredients
  • 1 pound duck breast
  • 2 teaspoons chipotle chili powder
  • 1 teaspoon cumin, toasted and ground
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt to taste
  • 2 cups chipotle cherry salsa (see below)
  • 12 small corn tortillas, lightly toasted
  • 2 cups red cabbage, thinly sliced and tossed in 2 tablespoons sour cream
  • 4 ounces goat cheese, crumbed
  • cress sprouts for garnish (optional)
directions
  1. Score the skin and fat of the duck breast with a knife trying to cut all the through the fat without cutting into the meat.
  2. Mix the chipotle chili powder, cumin and salt and rub it into the skin side of the duck breast then cover it and let it sit in the fridge for 20 minutes to over night.
  3. Heat an oven proof pan over medium heat.
  4. Place the duck breast into the pan, skin side down and let it cook until the fat has rendered, about 2-3 minutes.
  5. Place the pan into a preheated 400F/200C oven for 8 minutes.
  6. Remove and set the duck breast aside and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
  7. Drain the excess fat from the pan, add the salsa, deglaze the pan and simmer to remove any excess liquid.
  8. Assemble the tacos and enjoy.
Chipotle Cherry Salsa

Chipotle Cherry Salsa

Prep Time: 10 minutes Total Time: 10 minutes Servings: 2cups

A savoury cherry salsa with the heat and smokiness of chipotle chillies, the freshness of basil and the subtle hint of balsamic vinegar.

ingredients
  • 2 cups cherries, pitted
  • 1 chipotle chili in adobo or to taste, chopped
  • 1/4 cup red onion, diced
  • 1 small clove garlic, grated
  • 1 handful basil
  • 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
  • salt and pepper to taste
directions
  1. Puree everything in a food processor until smooth.
  2. Simmer the salsa to remove excess liquid. (Optional: This salsa is great fresh but if you are going to use it in something like tacos you will want to simmer it a bit to remover the excess liquid.)
Use in:
Duck Quesadillas with Chipotle Cherry Salsa and Goat Cheese

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Chicken Mole Tacos
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Blueberry and Basil Habanero Salsa
Coffee Rubbed Roasted Pork Belly Tacos
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30 Minute Meals, Duck, Food, Gluten-free, Main Course, Mexican, Recipe, Taco

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Kazia Jankowski says

    July 26, 2011 at 11:15 pm

    These look delicious! What a great combination of the goat cheese and cherry salsa. I love that you used duck!

    Reply
  2. Queen B. says

    July 27, 2011 at 12:54 am

    Kevin, Kevin, Kevin !
    You had me at CHIPOTLE !!
    This looks FABULOUS !!!]
    HELLO !! You are such an inspiration…………..thank you !!

    Reply
  3. Michele says

    July 27, 2011 at 2:12 am

    Oh my word, we're not in Kansas any more! They sound delish!

    Reply
  4. jillian says

    July 27, 2011 at 2:18 am

    Everything about these sound amazing!!

    Reply
  5. bellini says

    July 27, 2011 at 3:27 am

    This takes Tacos to a whole new level Kevin!

    Reply
  6. Jenny @ Savour the Senses says

    July 27, 2011 at 3:29 am

    Yum!!! I recently had duck with stone fruits at Perbacco in San Francisco, it was sooo delicious! I can imagine this is just as good, especially with goat cheese!

    Reply
  7. Rosa's Yummy Yums says

    July 27, 2011 at 5:34 am

    Wow, splendid! What a fabulous creation.

    Cheers,

    Rosa

    Reply
  8. Joanne says

    July 27, 2011 at 10:24 am

    Your family's taco nights sound exactly like my family's used to! Although, I'd rather have these fancy schmancy delicious tacos that you've made here!

    Reply
  9. Jamie says

    July 27, 2011 at 10:45 am

    Kevin, this is amazing! Nothing better with duck than cherries and goat cheese and spicy cherry jam is stunning! So combining all three must be a blast of a flavor combo! I have a can of chipotles that someone sent me so I am so making this salsa! Fabulous recipe!

    Reply
  10. Helene says

    July 27, 2011 at 2:03 pm

    This is so different and it looks so tasty. I love how you mix things. Chipotle gives a kick to anything. Great recipe Kevin!

    Reply
  11. LEW says

    July 27, 2011 at 6:56 pm

    Where do you purchase duck? My regular grocery doesnt carry it?

    Reply
  12. Toyin O. says

    July 27, 2011 at 7:01 pm

    Sounds yummy, thanks for sharing.

    Reply
  13. Dawn says

    July 27, 2011 at 8:10 pm

    Oooo…chipotle cherry salsa. I love it. I might have to try some of that!

    Reply
  14. Quirky Jessi says

    July 27, 2011 at 8:54 pm

    Ooo, I love the colors. The salsa sounds just awesome. <3

    Reply
  15. Leah says

    July 27, 2011 at 9:51 pm

    OMG duck tacos. What an awesome idea, thanks Kevin!! 🙂

    Reply
  16. Chris Chang says

    July 28, 2011 at 12:02 am

    Woww! This sounds SO GOOD! I've never made duck before, but this recipe might be my first! gosh and that cherry salsa sounds great too! Thanks for being an inspiration!

    Reply
  17. Sam says

    July 28, 2011 at 3:39 am

    You think of the most interesting combinations! Can't wait to try, thanks.

    Reply
  18. Kevin says

    July 28, 2011 at 11:59 am

    LEW: You should Be able to get the duck at a local butchers shop. I found it at one in the Saint Lawrence Market here in Toronto.

    Reply
  19. raleighcook says

    July 28, 2011 at 10:07 pm

    These look wonderful! Love the combo of duck and cherries. I love your recipes!

    Reply
  20. Samta says

    July 29, 2011 at 2:33 pm

    I am huge fan of Tacos – will try these for sure. Never tasted duk in my life though 🙂

    Reply
  21. Jennifer and Jaclyn @ sketch-free vegan says

    July 29, 2011 at 11:26 pm

    everything you make, i'm always like: i could see someone realisticaly making this for friends at a dinner party. Your ingredients are always accessible and down to earth. You should write a cookbook!

    Reply
  22. Choosy Beggar Tina says

    July 31, 2011 at 2:02 pm

    I'm a huge fan of duck, but when you add in cherries, chipotle and goat cheese you have gilded the lily and then dipped it in fairy dust! This recipe sounds creative and fantastic!

    Reply
  23. stef de fla says

    August 1, 2011 at 1:36 pm

    Wow! That's a killer recipe! I've just discovered your blog and I just love it

    Reply
  24. Sandra says

    August 1, 2011 at 3:07 pm

    Now I know what to do with my left-over cherries. 🙂

    Ideas for peaches beyond the dessert application? I have a cobbler in mind and some posts on buckles, slumps etc but something savoury would be good…hint hint…

    Sandra
    http://www.torontobites.net

    Reply
  25. The Dinner Belle for Kimberlybelle.com says

    August 1, 2011 at 8:02 pm

    I love duck with fruit! It's like pork and just goes so well with sweet and spicy. I bet that some pickled onion or jalapenos would be good wrapped inside these tacos-a little acid to put through the sweet.

    The Dinner Belle for Kimberlybelle.com

    Reply
  26. elly says

    August 3, 2011 at 1:50 pm

    I don't know what my favorite part about this dish is – the duck, the salsa, or the goat cheese. Beautiful and no doubt delicious!

    Reply
  27. Marisa says

    August 8, 2011 at 7:05 am

    Love the pretty colours!

    Reply
  28. Amber says

    June 3, 2012 at 10:50 pm

    Just made these tonight – they were SO good. Definitely putting in the regular rotation.

    Reply

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Kevin: I came to realize that my meals were boring and that I had been eating the same few dishes over and over again for years. It was time for a change! I now spend my free time searching for, creating and trying tasty new recipes in my closet sized kitchen.
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