Five-Spice Duck Breast With Blackberries
- 2 Muscovy duck breasts, about 1 pound each
- Salt
- 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
- 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
- 2 garlic cloves, smashed or diced
- 1 shallot, finely diced
- 2 tablespoons good sherry vinegar
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 6 ounces blackberries
- 1/2 cup rich chicken broth
- Trim duck breasts as necessary, removing extraneous fat or gristle.
- Score the skin side of the breast diagonally with a sharp knife.
- Season both sides of the duck breasts with salt, then sprinkle both sides evenly with five-spice powder.
- Mix together ginger and garlic and use it to slather the breasts.
- Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature.
- (Alternatively, wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or even overnight; bring back to room temperature before cooking.)
- Place a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat.
- When pan is hot, lay duck breast in it skin-side down.
- Let sizzle gently for 7 minutes, until skin is crisp and golden, adjusting heat as necessary to keep from getting too dark too quickly.
- Turn breast over and cook 3 to 5 minutes more.
- An instant-read thermometer should register 125 degrees for medium rare.
- Remove from pan and let rest for 10 minutes on a warm plate.
- Drain fat from pan (reserve for another use if you wish).
- Make the sauce: Over medium heat, add shallots to same pan and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add sherry vinegar, brown sugar and half the blackberries, stirring until sugar is dissolved and berries have released their juice.
- Add chicken broth, raise heat and simmer rapidly until liquid is reduced by half and a bit syrupy.
- Strain the contents of the skillet into a small saucepan and keep warm.
- To serve, slice duck breast thinly across the grain on a diagonal and arrange on a platter.
- Spoon the sauce over the meat and garnish with the rest of the blackberries.
muscovy, salt, fresh ginger, garlic, shallot, sherry vinegar, brown sugar, blackberries, chicken broth
Taken from cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1017596 (may not work)