Love and Mangoes

On a weeknight this past June, around 7 o'clock in the evening, I sat in a bathtub drinking wine as the Prince was downstairs making a meal fit for royalty. We were away on the North Fork of Long Island in wine country, also home to a duck farm that produces the famous Long Island duck. The Prince was making us dinner that night, and I certainly enjoyed being indulgent in the tub as the smell of sauteed duck wafted upstairs. It reminded me of one of my favorite scenes from The Bridges of Madison County, when Francesca takes her beer to her bath as Robert is downstairs putting the final touches on dinner.

The Prince pan sauteed the duck rare - the duck breasts were perfectly crispy on the outside and nice and pink and soft in the middle. The chutney he made with it was the best pairing imaginable. He mixed mango, red onion, fresh mint, salt, pepper, and a little brown sugar. The potatoes were roasted with rosemary and olive oil, and the wine was a dry Merlot - Mirrasou.

I love watching the Prince cook - he does it effortlessly and perfectly. There is something about the way he moves in a kitchen that is as intense and exciting as the flavors in the meals he creates.