Seared Duck Breast With Sugared Figs And Arugula Recipes

Steps:

• For the duck breasts: Sprinkle each duck breast liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the duck skin-side down and reduce the heat to low, cooking as the fat slowly renders and the skin becomes crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Once the skin is crispy and golden brown, flip and continue cooking until a thermometer reads 128 to 130 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast (for medium-rare doneness), 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and allow to rest about 5 minutes. It will carryover cook to about 135 degrees F. Don't tent with foil in order to ensure the duck skin will stay crispy.
• For the fig sauce: Pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet, reserving the excess for another use. Over medium heat, add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the sherry and reduce by half. Next, add the chicken broth, fig jam and balsamic vinegar, and continue simmering until the sauce has thickened and is syrupy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter. Garnish with chopped chives.
• Serve the sauce alongside thinly sliced duck breast.

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, score the fat of the duck breast in a crisscross pattern, being careful to not cut into the meat. Season the duck with salt and pepper. Warm a cast-iron or heavy-bottomed pan over medium-low heat and add enough oil to just coat the bottom of the pan.
• Place the duck breast fat-side down in the skillet to render off the fat, about 8 minutes. Once the fat has rendered out and the skin is golden brown and crisp, turn the duck breast over and add the butter, thyme and garlic. Turn up the heat to medium-high and, once the butter is foamy, begin basting the duck breast using a spoon. Continue basting until the duck breast reaches medium rare and measures 135 to 140 degrees F. on an instant-read thermometer, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and let rest for 3 to 4 minutes before slicing.

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:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Trim duck breasts if necessary. Place in pan. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 of the red wine vinegar, olive oil, bay leaf, thyme and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over duck and marinate for 30 minutes.
• Trim top portion of the stem on figs. Season with pepper. Place in pan and add remaining red wine vinegar and red wine. Hold aside.
• Heat grill. Grill duck until cooked to desired doneness. Brush with marinade while grilling. Reserve leftover marinade and heat on stove until it just comes to a boil. Hold aside.
• Take duck off grill and let rest. Place figs on grill to warm, skin side down. Slice duck on the bias. Divide arugula into 5 portions and put on plate. Place duck and figs on top. Sprinkle with blanched chestnuts. Drizzle cooked marinade over duck, figs and greens.

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°F.
• Wipe the figs clean, remove the stems, then halve them lengthwise. Place the figs, cut-side up, on a wire rack set on a foil-lined baking sheet. Drizzle the figs with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, then sprinkle with the sugar. Roast in the oven for about 15 minutes, or until soft. Drizzle with the vinegar as soon as they come out of the oven. Decrease the oven temperature to 375°F.
• Film the bottom of a large, ovenproof sauté pan with 2 tablespoons olive oil and heat over medium-low heat. Add the duck breasts, skin-side down, and cook for 8 to 10 minutes, or until most of the fat renders and the skin crisps. As the breasts sear, spoon off the excess fat as it pools in the pan. When the fat has rendered, transfer the breasts to a plate and pour off all the accumulated fat. Return the breasts, skin-side up, to the pan and transfer the pan to the oven. Roast for no more than 2 to 3 minutes, then remove the breasts from the pan and allow to rest while you make and dress the salad.
• Pick off the smallest and most tender arugula leaves and wash well. Pat dry. Toss with the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil and the lemon juice; season with salt and pepper.
• Lay 3 figs out on each of 4 plates. Slice each duck breast on the diagonal and fan out over the figs, then nestle the arugula salad next to it.