HAMILTON: So, we're doing our signature dish, half-roasted Pekin duck.

SETH: All right.

Pekin duck, is that a, uh, special type of duck breed?

HAMILTON: Yeah, it's a special type that is just bred for their fat cap and more meat per portion of breast.

So, we have our double duck breast.

You have the tenderloin.

We go through a lot of ducks, so we save these, and then we'll use them for pâtés.

But we have the double breast and what we like to do is we'll trim the fat, but you want the fat just a little bit bigger than what the actual breast is, because as it cures and cooks, it's going to shrink a little bit.

SETH: And there's still going to be plenty of fat left on the top of it.

HAMILTON: Trust me, yeah.

Absolutely.

You're kind of left with this very thick... SETH: That is a substantial fat cap right there.

HAMILTON: All flavor.

You know, it's delicious.

A lot of people, they'll tend to score their duck breast with a knife.

So, we got this meat tenderizer.

We hit the skin with this, right?

So we go down to far enough, but as you cook it, all the fat comes out, but you still have that crispy skin.

Okay, now that we're going to go ahead and season it.

We have fresh coriander.

We have lavender, pink peppercorns, we have fennel seed, star anise, and then we start first with salt.

So, we have our mix that we've ground up, and don't be shy with it.

SETH: Why be shy?

HAMILTON: Yeah.

And then we just let that sit.

Before we head over to the stove, I want to show you the other key part of the whole dish.

We have our duck confit, which we take the leg, and we actually take the same spice mix.

We're going to treat this like chicken and chicken fry it.

SETH: Chicken fry.

HAMILTON: I know, right?

I'm going to put this down, grab this breast.

We're going to go over and sear it in the cast iron.

Why don't you come follow me?

SETH: All right, let's do it.

All right.

Got a nice hot stove here.

HAMILTON: Hot stove, but we have a cold pan.

SETH: No sizzle.

HAMILTON: No sizzle.

You want to start it in a cold pan so the fat cooks evenly, so it has time to render out.

SETH: And obviously, no oil or butter needed because this thing's coming equipped with plenty of fat.

HAMILTON: Comes naturally.

As it starts to render, you'll see the fat start coming out.

SETH: Oh, and now I'm hearing that nice little crackling.

HAMILTON: Yeah, you're starting to hit a little sizzle.

Nice and quiet, and slow.

And then you move it around, there's going to be different hot spots.

SETH: And cooking at a low temp, I mean, that's kind of low country style cooking right there.

HAMILTON: Yeah, low and slow, worth the wait, you know?

So, as you can see, your fat is starting to build up a lot, right?

And then you don't want to fry it.

So, we want to take some of that fat, pour it off, save that, and then you're back to kind of a clean pan.

So, it's kind of constant steps of touching it, you're starting to see it get a little bit of color on there.

So, now once we kind of strain the fat again, it's going to cook for about 10 to 12 minutes until it's ready to flip.

Now that it's been 10 minutes... SETH: Looks nice and crackly.

HAMILTON: So, we use fresh sage, fresh thyme, get a little pop, then we take fresh butter.

SETH: Butter?

HAMILTON: More fat.

SETH: All right.

Duck fat wasn't enough.

HAMILTON: More fat, more flavor.

You can smell the herbs and sage and everything.

SETH: Oh, wow.

HAMILTON: And it just melds really well together.

SETH: Brown butter and duck fat are making a good pairing right here.

HAMILTON: Good wedding, right?

Meant to be together.

And then we're going to baste this for a few more times, about a minute or so, and we're going to take the duck off and let it rest, and then we're going to plate it up.

And then we take the confit leg, then our seasoned flour, and then we put in a little buttermilk, we fry it until it's super crispy.

And then to finish our duck dish, we slice it, do a seasonal garnishes for it.

So, we're going to have a squash puree, braised collard greens, then an apple cider jus.

And then we have our confit leg that we chicken fry.

And we'll just dig right in.

SETH: All right, Chef, the plating is just gorgeous.

What are we pairing with this duck?

HAMILTON: So, for this, we have a raspberry sour to help cut through the richness of it.

And I'm having an NA dragon fruit beer, and it just seems to work really well.

SETH: Cheers.

HAMILTON: Cheers.

SETH: I do love sour beers.

All right.

I'm going to go for a little breast to start.

HAMILTON: Yeah.

SETH: Can I serve you as well, Chef?

HAMILTON: Sure.

SETH: There you go.

HAMILTON: Thank you.

SETH: All right.

Outrageously good.

HAMILTON: Yeah.

SETH: I mean, I knew it would be, but that skin is crisped up so nicely on top, but there's a good amount of fat left.

You know, when you bite into it... HAMILTON: Rich.

SETH: Kind of pops out there, and it looks like there's some seasonal vegetables underneath as well?

HAMILTON: Yeah, we have some braised collard greens in there, and then a little fall squash puree.

SETH: And a little hint of sweetness, too.

HAMILTON: Right.

SETH: But you know, Chef, I see a beautiful chicken-fried duck confit leg... HAMILTON: Yes.

SETH: ...just calling my name.

Can I just have this one all to myself?

HAMILTON: Absolutely.

It's all yours.

SETH: Do you recommend eating this with your hands, or a knife and fork, or how do you... HAMILTON: I think just dig in.

You just close your eyes and go for it.

SETH: All right.

I'm doing it.

(crunch) HAMILTON: Hits all the notes.

SETH: That's just not fair.

And I think paired with some more sweetness, too, with this drizzle on top.

HAMILTON: With a little hot honey on there just to get a little more Southern flair.