Another great “you know me SO well” housewarming gift came from Kim. I had noted that I needed ramekins, but was so surprised when the ones that came to my house had frozen Mac & Cheese in them! (Kim also sent me a jar of pumpkin butter from William Sonoma which is OH SO splendid.) We defrosted them but needed a protein. On the end of our new block is a butcher shop and I sent Mike on a mission to pick something interesting out. I think he got a bit flustered, but he managed to secure 2 duck breasts and 2 duck legs. I don’t think he realized that a duck breast has TWO, so we had a LOT of food PLUS another set of duck boobs in the freezer for another night. I was a little disappointed to see that the he got frozen meat from the butcher, but it was still fun and duck, so why not?
On a quest to find a way to not only use the duck but to also use some of the HUGE bags of cranberries I have leftover, I found another Cookstr recipe that seemed adaptable. Sure it called for cherries, but what is a cranberry if not a tart little cherry? More maple syrup would surely make it palatable!
We even used the middle griddle top that came with our stove rather than 2 big frying pans.
The sauce was very liquidy, but it cooked down into a delicious syrupy masterpiece that smelled heavenly.
The duck must have been thicker than the recipe called for since it took at least twice the time to cook (and I’m still not positive it was fully done, but we’re not sick, so I call it a win!) The skin got crispy, but not quite crispy enough for some reason.
Most duck recipes called for cooking or braising for hours… so I guess I can’t complain too much for taking the quick way out. It just didn’t have the pizazz I wanted or expected of duck.
Slicing into it was easy on the breasts… the legs were another battle.
The sauce definitely added some punch to it… though again, not my favorite dish.
Next time I make duck I’ll try one of the longer cooking recipes to see if that makes it better. I also just realized I forgot to take a pic of the Mac & Cheese. D’oh! Luckily we have two more so I’ll have to give them their photo op later.
___________________________
RECIPES
___________________________
Ingredients
4 boneless duck breasts, about 7oz (200g) each
½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
½ tsp lightly crushed black peppercorns, plus more to taste
For the sauce
1 tbsp butter
1 shallot, finely chopped (we were missing this)
1/3 cup ruby port (we used leftover red wine from the party)
1 tbsp maple syrup
1 whole star anise (we were missing this too)
1 sprig of rosemary (we used dried)
½ cup chicken stock
2 cups pitted fresh bing cherries (we used cranberries)
salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions
(If you want to prepare ahead, the sauce can be made and refrigerated up to 2 days in advance.)
1. Score the skin of each duck breast with a sharp knife. Season with the salt and crushed pepper. (I made little Xes… still not sure if this was correct)
2. Place the duck breasts, skin-side down, in a large frying pan. Cook over medium-high heat for about 8 minutes. Turn and brown the other sides, about 3 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a carving board and let stand for 5 minutes.
3. To make the sauce, melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring often, about 2 minutes, until softened.
4. Stir in the port, maple syrup, star anise, and rosemary, and boil for 30 seconds. Add the stock and boil for about 3 minutes, or until slightly reduced. Add the cherries, and cook for 2 minutes more, until heated. Season with salt and pepper. Slice each breast on the diagonal into thick slices and transfer each to a plate. Top with the sauce and serve hot.
