Seared Duck Breast with Plums and Port
Makes 4 servings
Ingredients:
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 1/4 cups port
1 shallot, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
pinch of red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
pinch of coarsely ground black pepper
4 boneless duck breast halves
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 ripe plums, pits removed, cut into quarters or sixths, depending on size
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 cups veal stock or chicken broth
about 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
Preparation:
In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, 1/4 cup of the
port, the shallot, ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin, and pepper. Stir to
combine.
Trim away the silverskin from the meat side of the duck breasts and trim
away any excess skin and fat along the edges. Score the skin by making
diagonal cuts just through the skin at 1/8-inch intervals. Put the duck
breasts, skin side up, on a large rimmed plate and pour the marinade over
them. Marinate, turning the breasts over once or twice during the process,
for 1 hour at room temperature.
To cook the plums and make the sauce:
Heat the butter in a small sauté pan
over medium-high heat until hot. Season the plums with salt and pepper and
cook, tossing them occasionally, until they are browned, about 5 minutes.
Using a flexible spatula, transfer the plums and most of the butter to a
plate. To the pan the plums cooked in, add the remaining 1 cup port and the
veal stock. Remove the duck breasts from the marinade and pour the marinade
into the pan as well. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and
cook until reduced by almost half. Add the browned plums to the sauce and
continue to cook until the plums are tender. (The time it takes for all of
this to happen is about the same time it will take for the duck to cook.)
To cook the duck:
Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels. Heat enough
vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add
the duck, skin side down. As the meat cooks, fat will render. Pour this fat
off, using a large spatula or a plate to hold the breasts in place. Keep
pouring off the fat as the duck cooks, adjusting the heat if the skin begins
to burn. (Use your nose to detect any burning as the sugar in the port as
well as the soy sauce will blacken the skin.) While the duck cooks, check on
the sauce; if it seems to be reducing too much, turn down the heat.
Turn the duck over when almost all of the fat in the skin has melted away
and the skin is dark and crispy, about 12 minutes. Cook an additional 2
minutes on the flesh side. Take the pan off the heat and let the duck rest
in the pan off of the heat for at least 5 minutes before slicing it.
To serve:
Remove the duck breasts to a cutting board skin side up.
Pour any juices (but not the fat) from the pan into the pan with the plums.
Slice the breasts across the grain into thin pieces, about 6 slices per
breast. Place the duck slices neatly on each plate. Spoon some sauce and
plums onto each plate.
Wine suggestions:
A few options come to mind with this one: a medium-bodied
American Zinfandel, a Syrah from the Rhône, or a Shiraz from Australia.
Source:
Chef Gordon Hamersley; Bistro Cooking at Home
