Seared Duck Breast With Roasted Grape And Port Wine Sauce With Sweet Potato Cake And Sautéed Haricot Verts Recipes

Steps:

• Using a sharp paring knife, score the fat in the duck breasts a couple times in two directions to create a crosshatch pattern. Cut through the fat but not into the meat of the breast. Salt the breasts and let sit outside the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to allow them to come to room temperature.
• Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large saute pan. Place the duck in the pan skin-side down. Bring the pan to a medium heat and cook the duck breasts low and slow to allow the fat to render and so the skin can get nice and crispy. As the fat renders out of the duck, pour or spoon it out of the pan and SAVE IT for another purpose. (It's yummy!) Cook the duck for 8 to 9 minutes on the skin side. Turn the duck over and cook the duck for 2 to 3 minutes on the flesh side. Remove the duck from the pan, cover with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.
• Add the grapes to the pan with the bacon and bring the pan to a medium heat. Cook the grapes until they split and let out their juices and the bacon is crisp.
• Spoon half the grapes out of the pan and reserve. Add the port and vinegar to the pan, season with salt and reduce the port by half. Add the chicken stock and reduce it by half. Add in the reserved grapes. Taste and re-season if needed.
• Slice the duck on a severe bias and serve garnished with the sauce.

Steps:

• Pat dry the duck breasts with a paper towel.
• Score the duck skin with sharp knife, making sure to not cut into the flesh.
• Season the duck breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
• Add the potatoes to a pot of water and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook for 15-20 minutes, until fork-tender. Drain the potatoes in a colander.
• Using the bottom of a ramekin or your palm, gently smash the potatoes.
• Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).
• Starting with a cold and dry oven-safe skillet, place the duck breasts skin side down. Cook for 12-15 minutes over medium heat.
• Flip the breasts over and sear the other side for 1 minute. Flip to the skin side down, and transfer the skillet to the oven.
• Roast for 4 minutes for medium-rare, or 6 minutes for medium.
• Rest the duck skin-side up for 10 minutes. Do not discard the fat in the pan.
• In a small pot, combine the red wine, chicken stock, orange juice, and honey and reduce by half over medium heat.
• Fry the potatoes with remaining duck fat in the pan, until golden brown, 5-6 minutes. Season with salt, pepper and rosemary.
• Slice the duck ½-inch (1 cm) pieces.
• Serve with the sauce and the potatoes.
• Enjoy!

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:

• About one hour before cooking score the skin of the duck and season, set aside.
• Preheat the oven to 180c.
• Make the sauce.
• Finely chop the shallots. In a medium pan heat the oil and add the shallots, cook until softened. Add the grapes and cook until the fruits start to burst. Add the wine and the port and reduce by half then add the stock. Bring back to the boil and then strain through a fine sieve, reserve half the grapes and push the remainder through the sieve. Return the sauce to the pan and reduce until a syrupy consistency. Finish the sauce with the butter. Return the grapes to the sauce and keep warm.
• Cook the duck breast.
• Place the duck breast skin side down in a cold pan and heat until the fat renders and the skin starts to brown. Turn the duck breast over and place in the oven a cook for 8-9 minutes. Remove from the oven and rest for 5-7 minutes. Slice and serve with vegetables of your choice and the sauce on the side.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). In a small bowl mix together the salt, ground black pepper, thyme, and rosemary; set aside. This will be your spice blend for seasoning the roasted potatoes and the duck breasts.
• Place cubed potatoes into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle 2 tablespoons of your spice blend over the top of the potatoes. Toss the potatoes in the pan until they are evenly coated with oil and seasonings. Spread into a single layer across the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven.
• While the potatoes are roasting, stir together the blueberries, water, apple juice, sugar, and jalapeno in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to low, and simmer until the mixture has reduced to the consistency of syrup, about 10 minutes.
• Cook the pancetta in a large skillet over medium heat until crispy. Remove the pancetta to drain on a paper towel, leaving the drippings in the skillet. Add the shallots and the mushrooms to the hot skillet; stir and cook them until soft and just beginning to brown. Remove the shallots and mushrooms and set aside. Increase heat to medium-high and place the bok choy in the hot skillet. Stir and cook the bok choy until the leaves are wilted and the white stalk pieces are tender, about 5 minutes. Return the shallots, mushrooms, and pancetta to the skillet, turn off the heat and set aside.
• Rinse the duck breast halves and pat dry. Rub the remaining spice blend onto both sides of the duck breasts. Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat, when the pan is hot put in the vegetable oil and butter. Immediately place the duck breasts in the pan, skin and fat side down. Do not move the duck breasts until the skin is deep brown, about 5 minutes. Turn the breasts and cook until the internal temperature of the thickest part is 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) for well done. Remove the duck from the pan and place on a plate, covered with foil to rest for 5 minutes. While the duck is resting, place the skillet with the bok choy mixture onto a burner over medium heat to warm through.
• Slice each duck breast diagonally into 1/2 inch strips. Divide the bok choy mixture among four plates and drizzle each serving with 1/2 tablespoon of aged balsamic vinegar. Arrange the sliced duck breasts on top of the bok choy mixture; ladle on blueberry sauce. Serve with oven-roasted potatoes on the side.

Steps:

• Remove the tenderloins (the thin strips of meat on undersides of the duck breast) and reserve for the sauce. With a sharp knife, trim away any gristle from the undersides of the breasts and trim any excess fat. Score the skin in a diamond pattern, cutting through the fat but not quite reaching the meat. Lightly sprinkle salt on both sides, then rub 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns all over. Sprinkle with the garlic and a few thyme sprigs, cover, and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. (For deeper flavor, refrigerate the breasts for several hours or overnight, then return to room temperature before cooking.)
• Heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and the reserved duck tenderloins; let them brown well, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and a small thyme sprig and let them fry for 1 minute.
• Add the broth and 1/4 cup wine, raise the heat to a brisk simmer and let the liquid reduce to about 1 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return to the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons red wine and the Cognac or brandy and cook for 1 minute more. Dissolve potato starch in 2 tablespoons cold water, then stir the mixture into the sauce. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season to taste with salt. (Sauce may be made in advance and reheated, thinned with a little broth.)
• Remove and discard the garlic and thyme sprigs from the breasts. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high. When the pan is hot, lay in the duck breasts, skin-side down, and let them sizzle. Lower the heat to medium and cook for a total of 7 minutes, checking to make sure the skin isn't browning too quickly. With tongs, turn the breasts over and let them cook another 3 minutes for rare, 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice crosswise, not too thickly, at a slight angle and serve with the sauce.

Steps:

• Score the skin on the duck breasts down to their meat, and season both sides with salt, pepper and herbs on both sides. Set aside.
• Heat skillet, and sear duck on both sides for 5-6 minutes on each side, or until most of the fat is rendered, skin is crisp, and meat is to cooked to desired doneness.
• Heat butter in saucepan, and saute onion, garlic and shallots until tender.
• Add brown sugar, and cook until carmelized, about a minute or two.
• Slowly add vinegar (step back, as it will steam!) and wine and allow to cook down.
• Add arrowroot which has been dissolved in 2 Tablespoons water.
• If desired, finish duck breast in the oven.
• To serve, cut the duck breast into diagonal slices and spoon some sauce on top. Serve at once.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 180˚C (350˚F).
• Lightly score the duck skin with a sharp knife. Make sure not to cut through to the flesh.
• Season each side of the duck breast with 1 teaspoon of salt and pepper each.
• Fry the duck breast skin side down on medium heat for 3 to 4 minutes with the garlic and rosemaries. Flip and fry the other side for 1 minute.
• Put the duck breast in the oven for 6-8 minutes for medium rare; 10 minutes for medium well. Rest for 6 minutes before serving.
• For the mashed potato, chuck all the ingredients in the boiled potato, mix well.
• For the Red Wine Jus, use the pan you fried the duck breasts in. Take out the rosemary stalks, crush the garlic with a fork.
• Fry the garlic for a minute or two on medium low heat. Add in the flour and fry for another minute or until all the fat in the pan have binded to the flour.
• Add in the rest of the ingredients, mix well and keep simmering on a low heat for 10 minutes or until it becomes a glossy thick sauce.
• To impress your guests with your presentation game, pipe the mashed potato with a piping bag into a golf ball size mound. Shape using the back of a spoon.
• Place the duck breast, drizzle with the jus and decorate with orange zest and rosemary.
• Enjoy!