Seared Duck Breast with Grape Sauce
- 4 duck breasts
- Kosher salt
- Extra-virgin olive oil
- 2 cups seedless red grapes
- 2 strips bacon, cut into lardons
- 1/2 cup port wine
- 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
- 1 1/2 cups chicken stock
- Using a sharp paring knife, score the fat in the duck breasts a couple times in two directions to create a crosshatch pattern.
- Cut through the fat but not into the meat of the breast.
- Salt the breasts and let sit outside the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes to allow them to come to room temperature.
- Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil to a large saute pan.
- Place the duck in the pan skin-side down.
- Bring the pan to a medium heat and cook the duck breasts low and slow to allow the fat to render and so the skin can get nice and crispy.
- As the fat renders out of the duck, pour or spoon it out of the pan and SAVE IT for another purpose.
- (It's yummy!)
- Cook the duck for 8 to 9 minutes on the skin side.
- Turn the duck over and cook the duck for 2 to 3 minutes on the flesh side.
- Remove the duck from the pan, cover with foil and let rest for about 10 minutes.
- Add the grapes to the pan with the bacon and bring the pan to a medium heat.
- Cook the grapes until they split and let out their juices and the bacon is crisp.
- Spoon half the grapes out of the pan and reserve.
- Add the port and vinegar to the pan, season with salt and reduce the port by half.
- Add the chicken stock and reduce it by half.
- Add in the reserved grapes.
- Taste and re-season if needed.
- Slice the duck on a severe bias and serve garnished with the sauce.
duck breasts, kosher salt, extravirgin olive oil, red grapes, bacon, port wine, red wine vinegar, chicken stock
Taken from www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/seared-duck-breast-with-grape-sauce-recipe.html (may not work)