Duck Breasts with a Citrus Port Cherry Sauce
Making perfect duck breast is nothing to be afraid of. This was my first attempt, and it turned out perfectly. The duck had crispy skin, was moist, and cooked to "pink"-- just the way I like it. Of course, you are welcome to cook the duck to medium-well, if that is how you prefer it. The Cherry Sauce isn't complicated to make, and complements the duck perfectly.
Servings 4
Ingredients
- 4 boneless duck breasts
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 1 large or 2 small shallots minced
- 1/4 cup ruby port wine
- 1/3 cup freshly squeezed orange juice plus 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 1/2 cup pitted frozen black cherries* thawed and roughly chopped; NOTE: I used 1/2 cup sour cherry preserves
- 2 small pats of unsalted butter optional (adds richness to the sauce)
Instructions
- Score the skin (careful not to cut into the meat) of the duck breast with a knife in 2 directions, crossing over each other (makes a crosshatch). Pat the duck breasts completely dry. 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. The internal temperature should be 125F for rare, but I cooked mine to 130F.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 reserve the fat for later use (see notes).
- 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!
Notes
Cook's Note: excess duck fat can be refrigerated and is great for cooking potatoes or eggs
Recipe slightly adapted from Food Network