Plum season is over. Looooonnnggg over and done with.
But, do you know what isn’t done? The plum purée I froze this past summer when I knew I might be craving this dish on a chilly evening in February. Unlike many stone fruits that discolor over time, plums are one of the exceptions. They retain their gorgeous color and flavor, as long as they are tightly sealed in the freezer.
Today’s dish is my take on one Mark had at our favorite French restaurant in Ensenada, Baja, México. Yes, we have a favorite French restaurant in Baja. It’s one of our favorites anywhere!
El Rey Sol was opened in 1947 after World War II by Virginia Geffroy de Bitterlin, also known as “Doña Pepita.” She was the daughter of a French mining engineer and a Mexican woman, and they lived in Santa Rosalia, a small mining town on the Gulf of México. When malaria broke out in Santa Rosalia, she and her siblings were sent to France to live. While there, Virginia studied at the Cordon Bleu in Paris. More than 30 years ago, she was still overseeing daily operations of El Rey Sol when I first went with my friend David. My recipe for Mussels in Saffron-Chardonnay Cream came from there.
Many years later, Mark and I returned; the restaurant was still there but Doña Pepita had passed, and her son Jean-Loup was at the stove. There were not many changes in those years; it looked much the same as it had – decorated with sepia photos of Paris – but there was one major change. The menu.
Jean-Loup kept the wonderful French flair of the food, but started adding local ingredients to give the food a French-Mexican flair. Out of this world!
Mark will tell you that my version of the Duck with Plum-Chipotle Sauce isn’t quite the way he remembers it but, I assure you, he didn’t suffer much eating it!
Très Olé!
~ David
Duck Breast with Plum-Chipotle Sauce
2 duck breast halves, about 8 ounces each
1 pound Italian or other purple plums
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 cup prepared demiglace
1 tablespoon puréed chipotles in adobo
1 tablespoon cream
pinch salt
Halve the plums and remove the pits. Coarsely chop the flesh with the skin and place it in a non-reactive saucepan with 2 tablespoons water and 1 tablespoon sugar. (If your plums are really sweet, omit the sugar.) Cook over medium heat for 10-15 minutes until the plums are very soft. Place them in a fine-mesh sieve and, using a spoon or a large pestle (my preference), press the pulp through into a small saucepan. If you are making this for another time, this is the point to cool, seal, and freeze it. Otherwise…
Add the prepared demiglace and chipotle purée to the warm plum pulp. Mix well and keep warm.
Preheat the oven to 350°F. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Score the skin of the duck breasts in a diamond pattern. Season both sides with salt and pepper. When the pan is very hot, add the duck breasts, skin-side down. They will sizzle and jump as they hit the skillet. Cook for 4-5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp. Turn the breasts and allow them to cook for 1 minute longer. Transfer the skillet to the oven and cook for 5 minutes (for medium rare). Let rest for a minute before carving, while you heat your plates
While the duck is resting, reheat the sauce and add the cream and season with salt. Cut duck into 1/4-inch slices.
To serve, either pool some sauce on a plate and fan out slices on the sauce, or fan the duck slices on the plate and drizzle with the sauce. I like to serve this with mashed potatoes and green beans, but the options for sides are nearly unlimited!
Serves 4.
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Marcelle
February 16, 2019 at 3:03 pmI love that you two have a favorite French restaurant in Mexico. David! 🙂 It's beautiful how well you get to know the people where you all frequently go too, not everyone takes the time to do that. <3 I enjoy your stories. Your plum-chipotle sauce is so creative and it looks rich and delicious!!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:40 pmI know, Marcelle, leave it to us to go to a French restaurant when in México! But it was so good! And getting to know the people when we travel is, I think, the real reason we travel! Yesterday, at the rodeo, we ended up having lunch with three of the competitors and it was fascinating – two from Texas and one from LA. Made the entire experience for us!
Jill
February 16, 2019 at 5:08 pmAs always enjoy both the story and recipe. I actually ate dinner there in June of 1961 on vacation at Estero Beach with my grandparents. My grandfather was thrilled to find a good French restaurant in what was then a very sleepy little beach town. Have not thought about that vacation in years!!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:42 pmI love that you have been there, Jill – and I love that when you go back, the restaurant is STILL there! Glad I was able to bring back some fond memories.
Sippity Sup
February 16, 2019 at 7:14 pmI've come across a plum mole in my travels (dried plums and dried chiles I believe) but never one with such a French flair! Oh-La-La! GREG
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:43 pmI definitely should find your mole recipe, Greg. It sounds fantastic!
Eha
February 16, 2019 at 11:10 pmWhat a delightful 'longitudinal story'! Love duck, we still have plums in season, can buy chipotles in adobo in a jar and this seems so simple if one has the right touch with the bird 🙂 ! Love your chosen serving plate also . . . win/win on a Sunday morning !
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:44 pmI love it – "longitudinal!" So glad you still have plums. We have a ways to go before we see them, but I will be freezing more this year!
Gerlinde de Broekert
February 16, 2019 at 11:32 pmAs soon as can can get some plums I am making this. David, the plums you have in your photos are called Zwetschgen in Germany and they make the best plum jam. In Germany it is called Zwetschgenmus.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:45 pmI think I remember seeing these in the markets when I was living in Heidelberg one summer in the 80s. I was always told (by the Italian side of my family) that these were called Italian plums! Whatever they are, they are wonderful!
Fran @ Gday Souffle
February 17, 2019 at 9:20 amHey- I remember El Rey Sol in Ensenada! We used to eat there frequently when our family vacationed at our trailer caravan there. I can’t believe the restaurant is still there. I would like to travel more in Baja but my husband is not keen on driving down there (Tijuana is only 6 miles from our home)- he frequently quotes the 2,000 per annum murder rate in Tijuana. Anyway, your recipe is an interesting combination of French and Baja flavors. Maybe you can start a new trend called Baja-French to rival the Baja-Med thing that is trending now!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:46 pmOh, I wish for you that your husband was willing to drive through the mess to get to Ensenada… it is such a wonderful little town. Maybe things will get better soon?
Like Jill, I am so glad you have been to El Rey Sol, and that it was such a fond memory for you. A very special place…
Ron
February 17, 2019 at 10:21 amA wonderful story and a beautiful recipe. We enjoy duck breast and it's almost always available from our local butchery. Plums, yes they do freeze fantastic and we do have some in the freezer as well. But, I've never had a plum sauce with a Mexican infusion, it sounds lovely and a dish I'm sure to plate soon. Thanks for sharing.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:48 pmThanks, Ron – I love being inspired by chefs like Jean-Loup! And, while I love truly traditional recipes from around the globe, I do love "mixing and matching" along the way.
2pots2cook
February 17, 2019 at 6:09 pmwonderful and interesting; must remember the stop for my visit to Mexico 🙂 Thank you David !
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:48 pmThanks, Davorka – will you be coming to México soon? Tucson can't be too far… 🙂
Provence WineZine
February 17, 2019 at 9:14 pmI have a perfect wine to pair with this terrific-sounding recipe. If it is as good as the mussels (which we have made several times), I know we will like it. Next time I am in the San Diego area, I might have to plan to trip to Ensenado (where we also used to visit as a family). Thanks for the inspiration.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:49 pmOh, now, Susan… don't tease me! What is the wine?
You know, I never thought that so many of my readers would have been to Ensenada… glad it has memories for you, too!
Provence WineZine
December 5, 2019 at 10:44 pmWe went there many times as children. I wonder what it is like today…?
Cocoa & Lavender
December 10, 2019 at 12:07 amProbably very similar, if a bit upgraded… (from the cruise traffic)
Valentina
February 18, 2019 at 2:40 amThis sounds incredibly. I love duck and definitely don't have it enough. I love ordering it when we're out, which also isn't often enough. 😉 So smart to have puréed your plums and frozen them. There photos are so much fun today — I especially love that armadillo!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 18, 2019 at 1:50 pmValentina – we have been waiting for someone to mention our Oaxacan creatures! Aren't they fun? They made for a more-than-usual enjoyable shoot!
Kelly | Foodtasia
February 18, 2019 at 4:28 pmDavid, love the sweet and spicy combination of the sauce. It sounds wonderful. The restaurant sounds like quite a gem, and your pictures are a lot of fun!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 19, 2019 at 1:54 pmThanks, Kelly – this was a really fun post to photograph! There weren't many photogenic ingredients so we picked some of our favorite Mexican things and gave them 15 seconds of fame!
Inger @ Art of Natural Living
February 19, 2019 at 1:01 pmLooks so good David. I always like to freeze fruit for winter (so I can use more local). I've done plums in brandy, but never frozen puree–next year 🙂
Cocoa & Lavender
February 19, 2019 at 1:56 pmI love the idea of brandied plums, Inger! I will have to check your blog for a recipe.
Kitchen Riffs
February 20, 2019 at 4:43 pmI clicked over to the website for El Rey Sol and looked at the menu — it's rather nice! I do like the use of Mexican flavors/ingredients. This is a terrific dish — plums (and duck) take so well to spice. I sometimes make a plum salsa — next time I do, I'm adding chipotle! Thanks for this.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 21, 2019 at 2:13 pmThe restaurant is really very special – I hope you and Mr.s KR get there sometime! Plum salsa sounds amazing!
Emma @ Bake Then Eat
February 20, 2019 at 11:49 pmThat sauce does sound lovely, lovely colour too.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 21, 2019 at 2:13 pmThanks, Emma – especially when I know you are a vegetarian! 🙂
Jean | DelightfulRepast.com
February 22, 2019 at 4:16 amDavid, I love your story, the wonderful history, and that sauce sounds like perfection! Just small amounts of other ingredients to enhance, but not overpower, the plums. You always show restraint! 😀 Subtlety is a rare art.
Cocoa & Lavender
February 24, 2019 at 7:54 pmYou know, Jean, I think that my allergy to garlic has taught me to be gentle in cooking. More is NOT always better and, in fact, sometimes it is bad. We, in America, always want more. We should pay attention to our world neighbors for some lessons!
All That I'm Eating
February 22, 2019 at 10:45 amI do like duck, and really like it with plum sauce. And a chipotle plum sauce sounds absolutely amazing!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 24, 2019 at 7:55 pmAre chipotles easy to get in the UK, Caroline? I didn’t see any when I was there…
Frank
February 22, 2019 at 12:37 pmFrench-Mexican fusion? I like the sound of that. And the back story is wonderful. Just can't believe Doña Pepita named her son Jean-Loup…
Cocoa & Lavender
February 24, 2019 at 7:55 pmI know, Frank – what was she thinking? Still, he is a lovely man and I am glad to have met him.
he needs food
February 22, 2019 at 10:00 pmThey are the exact plums I needed when I made my Croatian plum dumplings, but they were out of season. I used another variety, but not the right size. However, these are in season now, so rather than dumplings, I really want to try this sauce!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 24, 2019 at 7:56 pmAll the other plums are too big for dumplings. I like the color of other plums, but the flavor of these is outstanding.
Colette (Coco)
February 23, 2019 at 12:56 amThat sauce…omg, I need that sauce in my life!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 24, 2019 at 7:56 pmEasy to do, Colette! 🙂
Andrea_TheKitchenLioness
February 27, 2019 at 8:01 pmDear David, what a wonderful story and what a fabulous recipe to go with the story. This recipe looks utterly delicious with quite a few flavor components that seem to go rather well together. And your presentation is picture perfect and colorful! What a fun post, my friend!
Cocoa & Lavender
February 28, 2019 at 5:48 amThank you so much, dear Andrea! It was a fun post to write and I actually learned several things about the restaurant I didn't know.