Quintessential Memories.

Food memories last. A long time, for me. Back in 1983, an old diner in Albany, NY, was repurposed to become a trendy eatery called Quintessence. It catered to the young, which I was. The signature dish of chef Donnie Graham was his Chicken Teriyaki: chicken breast wrapped around a carrot and scallion then grilled and served with a green salad and a spinach pasta with a sauce akin to Italian dressing. It was really good and, for $3.95, it was affordable for this young bass player who was pulling in $3,500/year. (No — I’m not missing any zeroes;  musicians were/are poor!)

Forty-some years later, I decided to take the dish a step further. I use locally-sourced duck from Top Knot Farms, and served it with fresh and spicy mustard greens (thanks, Nessa!), and soba noodles with shiitake mushrooms from Desert Pearl Mushrooms. The overall result is just fantastic and a fitting homage to the original. 

The teriyaki sauce is simple to make, though it took me several tries to get the balance of flavors right. The difficulty is making the zig-zag cut of the duck breast to form one long piece to wrap around the veggie spears. The wrapping itself takes a little practice, too; patience and a toothpick or two help. No duck? Make it with chicken. It will be awesome. Have fun with this one! 

I paired the Duck Teriyaki with a 2023 Tavel from Château de Ségriès. You can read more about the pairing on the Provence WineZine.

~ David

3 Comments

  1. Mimi Rippee

    February 1, 2025 at 7:14 am

    Another masterpiece!!! You should frame that feature photo!

    Reply
  2. Provençal Pairings: Wine with Food A Well-Traveled Tavel - Provence WineZine

    February 1, 2025 at 7:37 am

    […] pairing was a bit tricky. At first glance, my Duck Teriyaki recipe looks like an easy shot. Many rosés pair perfectly with Asian cuisine and that is what I […]

    Reply
  3. Mad Dog

    February 1, 2025 at 7:47 am

    That looks amazing and far more exciting than chicken!

    Reply

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