Smoked Duck Breast on Parmesan Truffle Toast

This recipe was inspired by the purchase of a smoked duck breast. I had not previously used nor eaten one, so I needed to create a vehicle for getting it from the plate into the mouth.


Ingredient List:
1 smoked duck breast sliced thin on the diagonal
1 baguette sliced thin on the diagonal
1 cube unsalted butter
1T truffle paste or tartufatta (mixed truffle and mushroom)
1/4C finely grated Parmesan cheese
1 medium yellow onion sliced very thin
balsamic vinegar
2T sugar
2T extra virgin olive oil
salt

Directions for the Balsamic Onions:
To make the balsamic glazed onions heat a frying pan and add the olive oil and onions over medium heat, salt lightly to get the onions to sweat, continue sauteing until onions are caramelized. Use one half the sugar to help with the browning, then add 1/2 cup of balsamic until it is completely reduced. You should taste at this point and add more balsamic as needed to achieve a rich sweet taste. Add the rest of the sugar with more balsamic until you have a deep rich color on the onions.

Directions for the Toast:
Mix butter, truffle paste and Parmesan, spread thinly on the baguette slices and bake at 350 degrees until the edges of the toasts are golden brown.

Assembly:
Add a slice of smoked duck to each baguette slice, top with balsamic onions and there you have my signature appetizer.