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Duck breasts with cherry-port sauce

Prep Time 30 minutes minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes minutes
Servings 6 minutes

Ingredients

  • For the Duck breasts with cherry-port sauce:

  • 1-1/2 cups fruity red wine, Shiraz, or Merlot
    1 cup ruby port
    One 1-1/4 -inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
    1 Tbs. granulated sugar
    1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
    1 tsp. cornstarch
    2 cups fresh sweet or sour cherries, pitted and halved (about 11 oz.)
    Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
    2 Tbs. coarsely cracked black peppercorns
    6 small or 3 large skin-on duck breasts (about 3 lb. total)
    Garnish:
    green peas
    small oven brown potatoes
  • Directions

    • Put the wine, port, ginger, and sugar in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat as needed, and simmer until reduced by half, 8 to 12 minutes.

      In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinegar and cornstarch. Whisking constantly, add the cornstarch mixture to the wine mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute more. Discard the ginger. Reduce the heat to low, add the cherries, and simmer slowly until the cherries are warm, 1 to 2 additional minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

      Put the duck breasts on a work surface skin side up. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in a grid pattern, cutting just halfway through the thickness of the skin. Season the duck generously with salt. Scatter the cracked pepper on a small baking sheet and press the duck into the pepper, coating both sides evenly.

      Heat a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the duck skin side down and cook until the skin is deep golden-brown and the fat from the skin has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully spoon off and discard all but about 1 Tbs. of the fat. Turn the duck and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a breast reads 135°F for medium rare, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

      Meanwhile, warm the sauce over very low heat. Cut each duck breast on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve with the sauce.

    Find it online:

    https://pageturnercookbooks.com/recipe/1875-Duck-breasts-with-cherry-port-sauce