Duck Breast With Seared Foie Gras And Balsamic Cherries Recipes

Steps:

• Wrap each duck breast in plastic wrap and pound them with a meat mallet until each breast is about 1 inch thick. Place the duck on a plate, sprinkle both sides with a total of 4 teaspoons salt, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• When ready to cook the duck, preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
• Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife, making a crosshatch pattern but not cutting down to the meat.
• In a large (12-inch) heavy-bottomed, ovenproof skillet, heat the oil over medium heat. Place the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down. Cook uncovered over medium heat for 12 to 15 minutes, discarding the fat from the pan occasionally, until the skin is very browned. Turn the duck with tongs, place the skillet in the oven, and roast for 12 to 18 minutes, until the internal temperature of the duck is 120 degrees F for rare. Remove from the oven, cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil, and allow the duck to rest for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, make the sauce. Melt the butter over medium-high heat in a medium saucepan. Add the shallots and saute for 2 minutes, until tender. Add the vinegar and cook for one minute. Add the Port, chicken stock, cherries, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon pepper, bring to a boil, lower the heat, and simmer for 15 minutes. Stir in the crème fraîche, orange zest, and orange juice and keep warm over low heat.
• Transfer the duck to a cutting board and slice diagonally, fanning the slices out on 4 dinner plates. Spoon the sauce generously on top, sprinkle with salt, and serve hot with extra sauce on the side.

Steps:

• Place duck breast skin side-down on a cutting board. Cut a small slit from top to bottom, 2/3 of the way through the duck breast. Season with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Place duck breast skin side-down in the hot skillet; cook until browned, about 30 seconds. Flip and repeat on the other side.
• Transfer duck breast to a clean work surface, skin-side down. Place 3 or 4 garlic strips inside the slit. Place rosemary sprig over garlic; top with remaining garlic strips. Place skin side-up in a baking pan.
• Bake in the preheated oven until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center reads 120 degrees F (50 degrees C), about 10 minutes. Cover with aluminum foil. Let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

Steps:

• After deveining, cut the foie gras crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick pieces, then season with salt and pepper.
• Heat 1 teaspoon of the canola oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking.
• Sauté half the foie gras until golden, 45 to 60 seconds on each side (it will be pink inside). Quickly transfer to a paper towel to drain and discard fat in skillet.
• Sauté the rest of the foie gras the same way, then discard all all but 1 tablespoon of remaining fat in skillet. Add 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Serve foie gras with sauce.

Steps:

• Season the duck breasts and place skin side down in a medium heated, thick saute pan. Slowly render the duck fat away (12 to 15 minutes). When the skin browns, let breast rest, meat side down. Just prior to plating wipe out pan and bring to high temperature and quickly sear the duck, meat side first, then the skin side, 3 minutes total. Let rest again before slicing.
• For the sauce, caramelize the shallots in a saucepan with a little canola oil. Season. Deglaze with cognac and reduce by 75 percent. Add the chicken stock and reduce by 50 percent. Pour into a blender and monter au foie gras. In other words, as liquid is blending, add foie gras pieces to blender. Check for seasoning and keep warm for plating.
• RED CABBAGE SLAW:
• Mix mustard with lemon juice. Whisk in oil and check for seasoning. Toss with cabbage and scallions. This slaw may be done 20 minutes before plating.
• WITH CHINESE AND BALSAMIC VINEGAR EMULSION
• In a non-reactive sauce pan, reduce the two vinegars by 80 percent until a syrup consistency is achieved. Pour the syrup into a blender while hot. While blending at high speed, drizzle in canola oil. Check for seasoning. Caramelize red onions in a saute pan coated with a little canola oil. Set aside. In a non-stick pan, coat well with canola oil and saute potatoes until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper. Toss hot potatoes with the onions and vinegar emulsion. Check for seasoning.

Steps:

• Pierce duck breast skin using a knife. Combine soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic powder, and ginger in a large shallow bowl. Add duck breasts to the marinade and let sit 30 minutes.
• Preheat the oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C).
• Divide onions evenly between 2 small casserole dishes. Place 1 duck breast in each dish. Pour remaining marinade equally over duck.
• Bake in the preheated oven for 15 minutes. Remove dishes from oven and carefully drain and discard as much accumulated fat as possible. Return dishes to oven and bake 20 minutes more.
• Transfer duck to serving dishes and let sit about 5 minutes. Slice thinly and top with baked onions.

Steps:

• In a large, heavy self-sealing plastic bag, combine the garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Add the duck breasts, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. In a large ovenproof sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the duck breast, skin side down, for 5 minutes; turn and sear for 5 minutes on the other side. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the duck breasts to a plate and keep warm.
• To make a balsamic jus, pour off the fat from the pan. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the wine, and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook to reduce the wine by half. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook to reduce for several more minutes.
• Cut the duck breasts into diagonal slices and serve drizzled with the balsamic jus.

Steps:

• To prepare marinade, whisk balsamic vinegar through pepper together until combined.
• Marinate duck breast halves in a covered dish in the refrigerator for 2-10 hours, turning occasionally.
• Remove duck from marinade; reserve marinade.
• Wipe and pat duck breast halves dry with paper towels, rub on all sides with one teaspoon of olive oil, and sprinkle with salt.
• Heat 2 teaspoons olive oil in a heavy skillet on medium-high until the oil starts to smoke.
• Add the duck breast halves and cook 3 minutes on each side, or until golden brown.
• Remove to platter and keep warm.
• Turn heat to high; add wine to skillet and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom to release browned bits.
• Add reserved marinade and cherries and cook, stirring frequently, several minutes or until sauce has reduced by about half.
• Taste and adjust for seasoning if needed.
• Pour reduction (sauce) over duck and serve at once.