Duck Breast with Citrus Port Sherry Sauce
You will need:
- 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
Still with me? Good.
- Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
- Score the skin of the duck breast with a knife in 2 directions, crossing over each other (makes a crosshatch).
- 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.
- Place the seared duck breasts in a baking dish skin side up, and put them in oven. Bake for 12 minutes.
- Remove the duck breasts from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.
- Meanwhile, pour off most excess fat from skillet, and place it back on the stovetop over medium heat.
- 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 chopped cherries and bring to a boil.
- Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the mixture and thicken, mashing the cherries with the back of a wooden spoon to extract flavor as they cook.
- Slice the breasts into 1/4 inch slices on a diagonal.
- Pour the cherry port sauce over the top and enjoy!
Voila! A delicious main dish with major romantic, or otherwise, potential. Enjoy it and I will be back as soon as I can. Good night everyone!
