Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Pan Sauce
Restaurant-technique duck breast rendered to a crisp golden skin, served with a glossy red wine and sour cherry reduction.
4 people · prep 15 min · cook 25 min · Total 40 min
Ingredients
- 4 pieceduck breasts (magret) (approx 200 g each)
- 250 gfresh or frozen sour cherries (pitted)
- 150 mldry red wine
- 200 mlchicken or duck stock
- 2 pieceshallot (finely diced)
- 30 gunsalted butter (cold, cubed)
- 2 sprigfresh thyme
- 1 tbspcaster sugar
- 1 tbspred wine vinegar
- salt and black pepper (to season)
Method
- 1.Score duck skin in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into the flesh. Season generously with salt and pepper. Place skin-side down in a cold skillet, then set over medium-low heat; cook for 14–16 minutes, draining fat every few minutes, until skin is deeply golden and most fat has rendered.
- 2.Flip duck and cook flesh-side for 4 minutes for medium-rare (65 °C internal). Rest on a wire rack 8 minutes.
- 3.Pour off most fat from the skillet, leaving 1 tsp. Sauté shallots 2 minutes. Deglaze with red wine; reduce by half. Add stock, thyme, cherries, sugar, and vinegar; simmer 8 minutes until sauce coats a spoon.
- 4.Remove from heat and whisk in cold butter cubes to finish and gloss the sauce. Slice duck breasts and serve with cherry sauce spooned over.