Duck Breasts with Squash and Sweet and Sour Cabbage

This is a classic Alsatian combinations-- rich duck, creamy squash, and sweet and tangy cabbage.

Ingredients

4 duck breast

2 medium sized winter squash, cut in half

1 head cabbage any variety, sliced thinly into ribbons

1/2 cup apple cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

Heat oven to 375F
Cut the squash in half and place cut side down on a baking sheet
Bake until the squash is tender and collapses when pushed
Remove from the oven and let cool until cool enough to handle and then remove the seeds and scoop the flesh from skin
Season with salt and pepper and mash to make like mashed potatoes
With a sharp knife, slice the skin of the duck breasts in a diamond pattern, cutting through the skin but not all the way to the meat. This allows the fat to render more evenly and the skin to not shrink unpleasantly during cooking
Season the duck breasts liberally with salt
Place the duck breast, skin side down, in a cold frying pan and then turn on the heat to medium
Allow the duck to cook until the skin is golden brown and the fat is rendered, about 7 minutes
Flip the duck and sear the underside until cooked to medium, 1-2 more minutes
Remove the duck from the pan and let rest in a warm place
Add the cabbage to the frying pan and increase the heat to high
Season with salt and pan fry in the duck fat until the cabbage is soft and just starting to color
Add the brown sugar and vinegar and let reduce by half. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed
To serve: divvy the squash purée across 4 plates, top with a duck breast per person, and then finish with a big pile of the sweet sour cabbage