Top Duck at Perilla Restaurant, NYC

Who isn't transfixed by the highs and lows of the Top Chef reality program ? (Example of a low: scallops with butterscotch sauce from last week's episode !)

Harold Dieterle won the first season and has opened his own restaurant in Greenwich Village, at a parallel street (Jones Street) to another Bear favourite, Pearl Oyster Bar at Cornelia Street.

Does it live up to the hype ?

Yes !

Mr Bear had the best steak of his stay in New York this year and
Ms Bear had a real treat in a succulent duck burger. The recipe which tells you how to elevate ground duck to a dish of excellence is reproduced below courtesy of restaurantgirl.

Perilla's Duck Burger by Harold Dieterle
(Serves four)

Ingredients

3 teaspoons olive oil
1 onion, very finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
1 pound ground duck
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped basil
2 tablespoons chile sauce, such as sriracha or sambal
1/4 cup panko
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions:
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion and 3 cloves garlic. Cook, stirring, until translucent, about 5 minutes; remove from heat and let cool.

Add onion and garlic mixture to a large bowl, along with, ground duck, basil, chile sauce, panko, and eggs. Knead mixture until well combined; season with salt and pepper. Transfer mixture to refrigerator and let chill for 30 minutes.

Remove duck mixture from refrigerator. Divide meat into four equal portions and form into patties. Heat 1 teaspoon olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat and brown on all sides. Transfer to a baking sheet and finish cooking in the oven.