Duck Breast & Ponzu

From Tokyo's Buchi.

1 duck breast, boneless, skin-on

1 white part of leek, outer layer intact

1 tsp EVOO

ponzu sauce

S&P

Ponzu Sauce

120 ml citrus juice (daidai, yuzu, sudachi, lime or lemon)

20 ml soy sauce

2 2/3 tblsp mirin

1 tblsp sake

1 piece dried kombu pelp (3cm square)

2 tblsp bonito flakes

1 small dried shiitake mushroom

Yuzu-Kosho Pepper Paste

30 gr yuzu citrus skin

30 gr fresh hot green chili, i.e., serrano

1 tsp salt

1/8 tsp shochu, sake or fresh yuzu juice

1. 10 days ahead, make pepper paste: chop the yuzu skin and green chili, blend with salt and shochu until a corse paste; transfer to airtight container and let mellow
2. 3 days ahead, mix all ingredients for ponzu sauce, refrigerate and strain through a fine mesh sieve
3. preheat oven 200 C
4. trim any excess duck skin off the flesh, pierce skin in several places
5. rub the breast with S&P
6. heat EVOO until hot over medium heat, add the duck skin-side down and sear until the fat is rendered and the skin golden crispy
7. soak up rendered fat with paper towels
8. flip the breast over, transfer the pan to the oven, roast duck 4-6 minutes until medium rare
9. while hot, marinate in ponzu sauce for 3 hours
10. grill the leek with medium flame until the outside is charred and inside is soft
11. when cooled enough to handle, discard the outer layer and cut the leek into bite-size pieces
12. cut the duck breast diagnally into 1/4 inch slices and fold over the leek
13. garnish with yuzu-kosho pepper paste, scallions, and/or sudachi citrus, grated daikon