Pan Seared Duck Breast with Tamarind Reduction

• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup diced carrot
• 1 cup diced onion
• 1 cup diced celery
• 6 peeled garlic cloves
• 1 cup crushed peeled tomatoes
• 2 cups red wine or port
• 1 quart duck stock
• 2 sticks canela
• 1 tablespoon star anise
• 3 fresh bay leaves
• 1 bunch thyme
• 1/2 cup seedless tamarind paste
• 2 boneless duck breasts with skin on and pricked numerously with a sharp knife
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. Heat a Dutch oven.
2. Add the butter; cook the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic for 10 minutes or until caramelized.
3. Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes.
4. De-glaze with red wine.
5. Reduce down by half and add duck stock, canela, star anise, and bay leaves.
6. Cook for 30 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced by 2/3.
7. At this point, add the thyme and the tamarind paste.
8. Cook for 5 minutes then strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve.
9. Heat a saute pan large enough to hold the two duck breasts.
10. Season the duck breast with salt and pepper.
11. Add it to the pan skin side down, and sear for 3 minutes.
12. Place the pan in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the duck is 145 degrees.
13. Place 2 tablespoons of tamarind sauce on a plate.
14. Slice the duck breasts on a bias and put on the plate, on top of the tamarind sauce.

butter, carrot, onion, celery, garlic, tomatoes, red wine, duck stock, canela, star anise, bay leaves, thyme, tamarind paste, skin, salt

Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pan-seared-duck-breast-with-tamarind-reduction-recipe.html (may not work)