Susan's Duck Breast with Fig and Port Sauce

This will be the last post I make for a few days as it is the Christmas holidays, so check back towards the end of the week for more great recipes. I hope you all enjoy my site, I appreciate all the visits and comments and I wish you all a Merry Christmas.

I made this last night, I thought I would make my last post before Christmas, a Zaar members recipe, as I haven't tried one in awhile. I served mine with wild rice mushroom timbales and it went really well with the duck and sauce. I thought this one was lovely, the sauce was exceptional and a perfect meal before a huge feast at Christmas. If you want to see more by this chief please click here.

Ingredients

2 Large duck breast halves
1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 Teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
1/2 Teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 Teaspoon paprika
salt & pepper
1 Cup beef stock or beef broth
1 Cup chicken stock or chicken broth
3 Tablespoons butter
1 Large shallot, minced
1/2 Cup port wine
4 Tablespoons fig preserves
1 Tablespoon flour (I just use cornflour instead of flour.)


Method

1. Preheat oven to 400°F.

2. In a pan, combine beef stock and chicken stock. Bring to boil and let simmer until mixture is reduced down to 1/2 cup. Set stock reduction to the side.

3. While stock is reducing on the stove,lightly score fat side of duck breast, with a sharp knife, in a diamond pattern. Sprinkle duck breasts with thyme, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper to season. Let sit, for 20minutes.

4. In a hot skillet pan, heat to medium high. Add olive oil. Add duck breast, fat (skin) side down, and cook for 6 minutes.

5. Turn duck over and let cook 2 minutes.

6. Remove duck breast to foil lined baking pan, meat side down, and bake in oven for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on cutting board for at least 5 minutes.

7. Meanwhile in skillet, drain off most of fat. Add 2tbsp of butter to pan.

8. Add shallot and cook until tender.

9. Add port wine and bring to a boil. Reduce by half.

10. Add 1/2 cup stock reduction and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer sauce low until reduced by 1/3 or sauce is a syrupy glaze.

11. Add fig preserves. Stir until completely melted and combined into sauce.

12. In a cup combine remaining 1 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp butter (beurre manie).

13. Add flour mixture to sauce and stir well to combine. Bring sauce to boil, stirring, until sauce thickens. That will take only 2 minutes or so. Remove from heat.

14. Cut duck breast, into 1/2 inch slices, angled, against the grain.

15. On serving plates, place sauce on bottom and place several slices of duck breast on top. Drizzle just a bit more sauce over top of duck slices. Repeat on all serving plates.

16. Serve immediately. Bon Appetit.


All photo's taken by me unless otherwise stated.