UrbnSpice

"A Taste Of Heart & Home"

Casual Dining

Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze

By

The Inspiration of Urb’n’Spice Series

The concept for this recipe originated from a preserve that I have been making for many years.   Orange Vanilla Bean Confiture (a cross between a jam and marmalade) was developed at my work because we needed garnishes for a new menu item. The confiture was to accompany a caramelized rice crispy garnish, which was a topping on a classic baked rice pudding. The dessert was very delicious and extremely popular. The confiture became a favourite amongst the other chefs in the kitchen and made its way into a number of other dishes. One of my favourite ways that they used my preserve was on a glazed Duck Breast. The duck breast was served beautifully displayed with seasonal vegetables and puree of celeriac or other similar items. My approach for this Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze is more casual and the dish is served family style on a board or large platter. It is an easy-to-make dish that can be prepared in just a few minutes. In this post, you will learn how to cook a duck breast to perfection, and additionally, I will guide you through how to make the Orange Vanilla Glaze.

Skip to my Recipe

Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with Orange Vanilla Glaze | urbnspice.com

“To begin cooking duck at one in the morning
is one of the finest acts of madness that can be undertaken by a human being who is not mad.”

― Manuel Vázquez Montalbán, La Soledad Del Manager

…

Read More »

Caramelized Mushroom Tart

By

The Inspiration of UrbnSpice Series

I enjoy appetizers and small plates (what we like to call ‘tasties’) casual type of dining.  Using puff pastry is a quick and easy way to make this Caramelized Mushroom Tart appetizer. One of my favourite variety of mushrooms is crimini mushrooms.  Their dense, dry texture make them the perfect mushroom for caramelizing. What better way to celebrate Canada 150 than making this delicious tart with Canadian grown mushrooms.

Skip to Recipe

Caramelized Mushroom Tart ready to bake | urbnspice.com

Caramelized Mushroom Tart ready to bake | urbnspice.com

…

Read More »

Make It Your Own Burger

By

Urb’n’Spice Ultimate Recipe Series

Burgers are a very personal food and as such, it is my belief that burger recipes should provide the user with the flexibility to Make It Your Own Burger.

The following recipe will provide a number of options; as well I will also elaborate on why I have done what I have done. Enjoy!

Make It Your Own Burger | urbnspice.com

Make It Your Own Burger

…

Read More »

The Ultimate Burger – Really!

By

UrbnSpice Ultimate Recipe Series

The Wats-On Burger

It is time to share an amazing recipe with you:  The Ultimate Burger (known as the Wats-on Burger) is actually the creation of my husband. No one has ever been able to match it.  It does have fresh ingredients, mixed with a light hand and grilled to perfection.  What it does not have is fancy ingredients like BBQ sauce or truffle bits.  It is a simple burger – that is all…..and everything.  If you want to try to recreate this burger, you will need a few things.

The Ultimate Burger | urbnspice.com

The Ultimate Burger 

THE WATS-ON BURGER

INGREDIENTS:

For 6 – 8 large burgers or 12 – 14 sliders:

  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 1 lb. ground beef
  • 2 green onions, sliced thinly
  • 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
  • 1 egg, slightly beaten
  • 10 crushed crackers of your choice
  • 1 teaspoon salt or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper, or to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder or onion powder

METHOD:

  1. Combine the ground meat, green onion, garlic, egg, cracker crumbs and seasoning, and mix to combine.  Take care not to over mix.
  2. Test a small meatball size portion, flattened,  by frying until cooked through.  Taste and adjust the seasonings accordingly.  This is an important step!
  3. Separate the mixture into patties and place on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
  4. Grill the patties until done.  Just prior to finishing, place slices of cheese on top of the cooked burger and let the cheese soften before removing the burger from the pan or grill and placing them onto a toasted burger bun.

GARNISHES:

The garnishes that we typically top this burger with are quite simple:

  • sliced dill pickles
  • sliced fresh tomatoes
  • shredded or leaves of lettuce
  • Gruyere or old Cheddar cheese, sliced
  • Rings of freshly sliced red onion
  • A fresh grind of black pepper and a sprinkle of salt on the tomato slices, seasoned to taste

Feel free to add your own garnish.  Other garnishes we have tried and loved are:

  • Caramelized Onion – I show you How to Caramelize Onions in this post
  • Sliced mushrooms, sautéed in butter
  • Crispy Bacon slices

LEARNING TIPS:  

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

  • Tweaking
  • Basic Tools:  Scoops for Portioning
    _________

Enjoy!

This is truly the best burger you will ever have!

Denise Pare-Watson - The Urb'n'Spice Chef | urbnspice.com

Denise Pare-Watson

The UrbnSpice Chef

 

 

More Urbnspice Ultimate Recipes:

Urbnspice’s Ultimate Soup Recipe 

Urbnspice’s Ultimate Apple Crisp

Urbnspice’s Ultimate Chocolate Desserts

Urbnspice’s Ultimate Veggie Burger