I got a Batali recipe for duck and, having none, used it on chicken. It's not fancy, but boy is it good, and it has grappa in it!
2 large chicken breasts (or 1 Muscovy breast)
1/2 C red wine (I used Chianti)
1/2 C grappa (whopee, I had to drink a swig too)
1/2 C chicken stock
2T butter
chopped scallions
dried cherries
flour for dusting
olive oil for frying.

I bought the chicken breasts, cut each into three pieces and pounded them flat.

I mixed flour, salt and pepper and dredged the chicken in it.

I then fried the chicken in olive oil over medium heat until browned and removed to a dish.

I added the chicken stock, grappa, chianti, butter, a handful of dried cherries, and reduced by half. For fear of combustion, I did this really slowly.

Then I added the chicken back in and let everything mingle.

Stacked on a plate with the sauce over the top and chopped scallions for good measure. I ate most of it myself. It's quite a nice change for dull old chicken. I would love to hear if anyone had the opportunity to try it with duck.

K, rob send me about 4-5 liters of grappa and I'll try your recipe and let ya know what I think (if I can remember)...

I don't think I can mail it, but your liquor store has it. Mine's got a whole case under lock and key. I selected a $25 bottle off the floor, and it's good for cooking, and ok for drinking. It burns a nice little fire in the tummy, kind of reminiscent of the Calvados I discovered recently too. The proper use for grappa I'm told is to soak a sugar cube in it, place it in a teaspoon, and balance it over a glass of prosecco (Italian champagne) to be plopped in and enjoyed. It's a bit harsh, but good in Mario's dish, even with chicken.

I didn't know the stuff was commercially available. I thought you were talking about Italian moonshine, which I did experience in Italy once a long time ago. Looks like a winner recipe, though.

Looks good I've been thinking about some duck lately. Now if I can just figure out where to get Calvados for $25.

OK...I'll bite: What is grappa?

This delicious sounding recipe reminds me of a duck dish served at our finest local restaurant: a leg quarter and sliced breast with a delicious, but not overly sweet cherry sauce over all.

When our second duck season rolls around, I will definitely try this. Any substitution suggestions for the grapps?

Grappa is a distilled spirit made from fermenting the waste products of pressing wine. They take the skins and seeds and add sugar and water and ferment, then press and distill. I'm using Grappa Julia, DiSusa Import Company, and it's 80 proof! Ask for it in your liquor store, and I'll bet you they have it with the other fire water. For Stetson, the Calvados is Calvados Morin "Selection" imported by Ideal Wine and Spirits Co. I bought the Calvados for a caramel apple dessert, and it'll last a long long time. That's 80 proof too.


Now, for a duck recipe, the book calls for the little cutlets to be fried up crisp on one side but not turned. Then all the liquid is added to the pan and they are turned for a minute. Crispy on one side, soft on the other. I couldn't see the logic so I browned all the cutlets first, and let the sauce reduce before adding them back in. It might be possible that he likes the duck to cook longer in the sauce but I didn't think it would help the chicken.

Duck is typically served MR. In some Asian countries chicken is treated the same way but that's going a bit far for the average person here. With the duck I would suspect what Mario wants is a contrast of texture. Extremlly crisp on the outside, soft warm and MR on the inside.