Duck Breast With Sweet Cherry Sauce Recipes

Steps:

• Heat oil in a 2- to 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking, then cook onion, garlic, and shallot, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, black pepper, cumin, hot pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring, 30 seconds. Add bell pepper and tomato and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in wine, vinegar (to taste), and sugar and simmer 1 minute. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt and simmer 1 minute.
• Purée mixture in a blender until very smooth, about 1 minute (use caution when blending hot liquids). Force cherry sauce through a fine-mesh sieve into a bowl and transfer 1/4 cup sauce to a small bowl for glazing duck.
• Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 450°F.
• Score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern with a small sharp knife and season duck all over with salt and pepper.
• Heat water in an ovenproof 12-inch heavy skillet over low heat until hot, then add duck, skin side down. Cook duck, uncovered, over low heat, without turning, until most of fat is rendered and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Transfer duck to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Brush duck all over with cherry sauce from bowl and return to skillet, skin side up.
• Roast duck in oven until thermometer registers 135°F (see cooks' note, below), about 8 minutes for medium-rare.
• Transfer duck to a cutting board and set skillet aside. Let duck stand, loosely covered with foil, 10 minutes.
• Immediately after covering duck, carefully pour off any fat from skillet, leaving any brown bits, and add remaining cherry sauce, stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Add remaining 1 1/2 cups cherries. (Cherries will lose flavor if cooked; heat from skillet will warm sauce.)
• Holding a sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, cut duck into slices. Sprinkle with chopped herbs and serve with cherry sauce.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Score the skin of the duck breast with a knife in 2 directions, crossing over each other (makes a crosshatch). Season both sides of each duck breast with salt and pepper.
• In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, place the duck breasts skin side down. Sear the breasts until the skin is golden brown about 10 minutes, flip and sear the other side for just 3 minutes. Place the seared duck breasts in a baking dish skin side up, and put them in oven. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the duck breasts from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour off most excess fat from skillet, and place it back on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent. Pour in the port wine and orange juice, and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the orange zest and chopped cherries and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the mixture and thicken, mashing the cherries with the back of a wooden spoon to extract flavor as they cook.
• Slice the breasts into 1/4-inch slices on a diagonal. Pour the cherry port sauce over the top and enjoy!
• Cook's Note: excess duck fat can be refrigerated and is great for cooking potatoes or eggs.

Steps:

• Score the skin of the duck breast with a knife in 2 directions, crossing over each other (makes a crosshatch). Season both sides of each duck breast with salt and pepper. In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, place the duck breasts skin side down. Sear the breasts until the skin is golden brown about 10 minutes, flip and sear the other side for just 3 minutes. Remove the duck breasts, cover loosely with foil, and allow them to rest for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, pour off most excess fat from skillet, and place it back on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent. Pour in the port wine and orange juice, and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the orange zest and cherry preserves and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the mixture and to thicken. *Optional: off-heat, add the unsalted butter and whisk until it's incorporated into the pan sauce. The butter gives a silkier texture, and adds a richer flavor to the sauce. Slice the breasts into 1/4-inch slices on a diagonal. Pour the cherry port sauce over the top and enjoy! Cook's Note: excess duck fat can be refrigerated and is great for cooking potatoes or eggs

Steps:

• Place duck breast halves between 2 sheets of plastic wrap. Pound lightly to even thickness (about 1/2 to 3/4 inch). Discard plastic wrap. Using sharp knife, score skin in 3/4-inch diamond pattern (do not cut into flesh). DO AHEAD: Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover and chill.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle duck with salt and pepper. Add duck, skin side down, to skillet and cook until skin is browned and crisp, about 5 minutes. Turn duck breasts over, reduce heat to medium, and cook until browned and cooked to desired doneness, about 4 minutes longer for small breasts and 8 minutes longer for large breast for medium-rare. Transfer to work surface, tent with foil to keep warm, and let rest 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour off all but 2 tablespoons drippings from skillet. Add shallot to skillet and stir over medium heat 30 seconds. Add broth, cherries, Port, and honey. Increase heat to high and boil until sauce is reduced to glaze, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Whisk in 1 tablespoon cold butter. Season sauce to taste with salt and pepper.
• Thinly slice duck. Fan slices out on plates. Spoon sauce over and serve.
• What to drink:
• With the duck, pour a medium-bodied red from Spain's Rioja region. We like the Viña Santurnia 2005 Crianza Rioja ($13), which has black cherry flavors and smoky notes.

Steps:

• Preheat oven: 450 degrees In an ovenproof or cast iron pan, sear the meat skin side first until it's crispy. Then flip meat over and roast until juices run clear. Remove meat from pan and let rest. Drain fat from pan. Add shallots, vinegar and sugar, cook until liquid caramelizes. Add demi-glace and season with salt and pepper. Strain hot sauce and finish by adding butter and cherries. Place each breast on a plate and slice. Serve with cherry sauce poured on top.

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the Port and dried cherries; set aside.
• Using a thin-bladed, sharp knife, score the skin of each duck breast half in a crosshatch pattern, taking care not to cut into the flesh.
• In a small bowl, mix 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper.
• Season the breasts on both sides with the salt mixture.
• Place the duck breasts, skin side down, in a cold, large nonstick frying pan.
• Place over med-high heat and cook the breasts until the skin is crisp and a deep golden brown, about 10 minutes.
• Holding the breasts back with a spatula, pour the fat out of the pan.
• Turn the breasts and continue cooking until med-rare, about 3 minutes longer.
• Transfer the duck breasts to a cutting board and cover loosely with foil to keep warm.
• Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the frying pan and place over medium heat.
• Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until softened, about 2 minutes.
• Add the Port and cherries and bring to a boil over high heat.
• Cook until the Port is reduced almost to a glaze, about 1 minute.
• Stir in the stock, return to a boil, and cook until the sauce is reduced by half, about 2 minutes.
• Remove from the heat.
• Whisk in the butter 1 tablespoon at a time, completely incorporating each addition before adding more butter.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper; keep warm.
• Holding a thin, sharp knife at a 45-degree angle, slice each duck breast half on the diagonal.
• Slip the knife under each sliced breast, transfer to individual plates and fan out the slices.
• Spoon some sauce over each breast and serve immediately.

Steps:

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, warm the stock until steam begins to rise from the surface, about 3 minutes. Add the dried cherries and remove from the heat.
• Season the duck breast halves with salt and pepper. Using a sharp knife, score the skin by making a crisscross pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat.
• Heat a large saute pan over medium-low heat. Place the duck, skin side down, in the pan and cook until the skin is very crisp and golden, 12-15 minutes. Turn the duck over and cook until the meat is just springy when pressed, 3-5 minutes more for rare to medium-rare, or until done to your liking.
• Transfer the duck to a warmed platter, cover loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 3 to 5 minutes before carving.
• Pour off all but 1 Tb fat from the pan. Set the pan over medium heat, add the shallot and cook, stirring occasionally, until tender and translucent, about 3 minutes.
• Add the port, bring to a boil and cook until it is almost evaporated, about 3 minutes.
• Add the stock and cherries and the demi-glace, and cook until slightly thickened, 2 to 3 minutes.
• Add the butter and whisk until completely incorporated.
• Taste and season with salt and pepper.
• Using a sharp carving knife, cut the duck across the grain into thin slices and arrange on a warmed platter. Pour the sauce over the meat and serve immediately.

Steps:

• Prick skin of duckling well and place breast side up on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Tie drumsticks together. Bake, uncovered, at 350° for 2 to 2-1/2 hours or until juices run clear and a thermometer reads 180°. (Drain fat from pan as it accumulates.) Cover and let stand 20 minutes before carving. , Meanwhile, for sauce, combine preserves and vinegar in a small saucepan. Cook and stir over medium heat until heated through. Serve with duck. Garnish platter with fruit and kale if desired.