Peter Spear, WCMC, CEC, CCA, PCII, Executive Chef of MacGregor Downs Country Club

When Peter Spear, WCMC, CEC, CCA, PCII, Executive Chef of MacGregor Downs Country Club in Cary, N.C., was tasked with creating a menu for a wine dinner that showcases two distinct ways to prepare the same item, he knew he wanted to work with duck.

“I love to cook duck, and I wanted to have the duck leg as a part of the dish,” says Spear, “but I didn’t want it to be in just a leg quarter form or mixed into a hash.”

The end result was a crispy duck breast with duck leg croquettes, drunken cherries, Marcona almonds, spiced butternut squash purée and duck jus—one of Spear’s favorite dishes he created this past year.

“It’s a great balance of sweetness from the cherries, saltiness from the duck breast and crispness from the croquettes,” he says. “[I’m proud that I was able] to conceive this dish in my mind and create exactly what I was envisioning.”

Crispy Duck Breast With Duck Leg Croquettes, Drunken Cherries, Marcona Almonds, Spiced Butternut Squash Purée, Duck Jus
Click here for the recipe.