Pato Confitado con Mole Rosado de Taxco y Esferas Ahumadas de Xoconostle

Prepare the Duck Confit: Pat duck legs thoroughly dry. Rub each leg with coarse sea salt, black pepper, thyme sprigs, and bay leaves. Place in a non-reactive dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 12 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F). Rinse duck legs thoroughly under cold water to remove excess salt and pat completely dry. In a deep, oven-safe pot or Dutch oven, melt the duck fat over low heat. Submerge the duck legs in the melted fat. Ensure they are fully covered.

Place the pot in the preheated oven and confit for 2.5 to 3 hours, or until the duck meat is very tender and easily pulls away from the bone but is not falling apart. Carefully remove the duck legs from the fat and set aside. Strain the duck fat and reserve for future use.

Prepare the Mole Rosado: While the duck confits, toast the ancho, guajillo, and pasilla chiles in a dry skillet over medium heat for 1-2 minutes per side until fragrant, being careful not to burn them. Transfer to a bowl, cover with hot water, and let rehydrate for 20 minutes. Drain and reserve.

In the same dry skillet, toast the pine nuts, almonds, and sesame seeds separately until golden and fragrant. Set aside.

Roast the quartered beets, onion, garlic, and tomatillos on a baking sheet at 200°C (400°F) for 20-25 minutes, or until tender and slightly caramelized.

In a blender, combine the rehydrated chiles, toasted nuts, roasted vegetables (beets, onion, garlic, tomatillos), cinnamon stick, cloves, anise seeds, white chocolate, and sugar. Add 100 ml of chicken broth and blend until very smooth. Strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl, pressing firmly to extract all liquid and discarding solids. This step is crucial for a silken texture.

In a large saucepan or cazuela, heat the lard or vegetable oil over medium heat. Carefully pour in the strained mole paste. Cook, stirring constantly, for 10-15 minutes, allowing the paste to darken slightly and thicken. Gradually add the remaining 400 ml of chicken broth, stirring continuously until the mole reaches a smooth, velvety consistency. Season with salt to taste. Keep warm over low heat.

Prepare the Smoked Xoconostle Gelée: Place the xoconostle pulp, lime juice, and sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring until sugar dissolves. Cook for 5 minutes until slightly thickened.

In a separate small bowl, whisk the agar-agar powder with 2 tablespoons of cold water until smooth. Stir this slurry into the simmering xoconostle mixture. Bring back to a gentle boil and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

To smoke, place the xoconostle mixture in a heat-proof container. Ignite a small amount of wood chips in a smoker gun or a small foil packet on a stovetop burner, then direct the smoke into the container and cover tightly. Smoke for 5-7 minutes, then allow to cool completely at room temperature, then refrigerate until firm. Once firm, scrape the gelée into a bowl and gently break it up with a fork. Using two spoons, form delicate quenelles or small spheres for plating.

Crisp the Duck: Just before serving, preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place the confit duck legs skin-side down in the hot skillet. Cook for 5-7 minutes until the skin is deeply golden brown and exquisitely crisp. Flip and cook for another 2-3 minutes to warm through.

Assembly and Plating: Spoon a generous pool of the warm Mole Rosado onto the center of each plate. Carefully place a crisp duck leg on top of the mole. Arrange 2-3 smoked xoconostle gelée quenelles elegantly around the duck. Garnish with toasted pine nuts, fresh cilantro microgreens, and edible borage flowers for a final touch of sophistication. Serve immediately.