Duck Breasts with Spiced Cherries
Yield
4
RECIPE Ingredients
FOR THE CHERRIES
- 1 tbs black peppercorns
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 star anise
- 1 clove
- 1 1/2lbs sweet cherries, pitted
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 1/4 tsp red wine vinegar
FOR THE DUCK
- 4 Pekin Duck Breasts
- Kosher salt & freshly ground black pepper
- Fleur de Sel
- 2 tbs chopped fresh chives
Recipe notes
Plump spiced cherries adorn crispy skinned duck breast in this beautiful - and easy - recipe from Chef Barbara Lynch.
RECIPE Preparation
- To make the cherries: Tie the peppercorn, cinnamon stick, star anise, and close in a cheesecloth sachet. In a medium saucepan, combine cherries, sugar, red wine, and sachet and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat. Reduce the heat to low and cook, stirring occasionally, until the liquid is reduced to a syrup and the cherries are quite soft, about 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove and discard the sachet, stir in the red wine vinegar, and remove the cherries from the heat.
- Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the duck breasts skin side down and cook for a few minutes to brown the skin. Reduce the heat to medium-low and continue cooking to render more fat and further crisp and brown the skin, about 12 minutes more.
- Pour or spoon off some of the accumulated fat and turn the breasts over to finish cooking on the other side. To check for doneness, use an instant-read thermometer; 135 to 140 degrees F is right for medium-rare. Transfer the cooked breasts to a plate or platter and let them rest for 6 to 8 minutes in a warm place.
- To serve, slice the duck and divide it among four plates. Top with the spiced cherries. Finish with a pinch of Fleur de Sel and a sprinkling of chives.
