Weeknight Elegance – Duck Breasts with Fresh Fig Sauce

“Platform” is a buzzword widely used in computing, commerce, politics, and sports.  In cooking, it is used to describe a base from which one’s creative use of different ingredients or techniques can produce alternative, and hopefully satisfying, results.

Duck breast is an attractive base because it is tasty when simply prepared, can be prepared quickly, is a more elegant dish than chicken, and, most importantly, can hold its own against an extensive range of sauces.  Change the sauce, change the taste profile and the accompaniments that most suitably balance the taste profile.  The duck breast’s versatility as a platform was ably demonstrated by this week’s French Fridays with Dorie challenge:  Duck Breasts with Peaches.

I am not necessarily a contrarian by nature, but frequently become one out of necessity or inspiration.  My local market was bursting with fresh green figs which beckoned me like a siren song.  So I grabbed an armful, used Dorie’s basic technique for preparing duck breasts, and substituted the green figs for the peaches.  Figs work well with sweet spices and fatty, salty ingredients,  so it was love at first bite  when my green fig sauce and balsamic glaze were paired with the duck breasts.

If you have been reading my posts for a while, you may recall an earlier post about Lavender Honey Glazed Duck Breast .  The technique for cooking the duck breast is the same; only the sauce is different.  This is a technique that every home chef should master for it is simple and gives you a lot of options and flexibility when it comes to meal planning.  It ranks on the culinary know-how list with roasting a chicken, grilling the perfect steak, and having a go-to cocktail.

I think Pinot Noir is a perfect pairing for duck breast, regardless the sauce.  Sous Chef chose a 2008 Windward Vineyard Estate Monopole Pinot Noir.  Windward is a boutique winery located in Paso Robles, California that is dedicated to producing Burgundian-style Pinot Noir.  We prefer this style since it is generally lower in alcoholic content, more rustic in flavor, and pairs better with food than the alcoholic fruit bombs that pass for California Pinot Noir nowadays and which are capable of overwhelming any food pairing.  Windward produces exemplary wines from vineyards on the westside of Paso Robles in a microclimate that combines cooling Pacific Ocean breezes, calcareous soil, and daily temperature drops of up to 50 degrees.  The wine held true to the “Windward Profile” of strawberry nose, bright Bing cherry fruit up front, a sensuous, feminine and velvet middle palate, and the “Peacock Tail” finish that seems to open and spread forever.  While this paring was very good, if I had used fresh cherries in the sauce it would have been a truly explosive wine/duck pairing.

To join the group or read more about French Friday’s with Dorie visit: http://www.frenchfridayswithdorie.com/.

Weeknight Elegance - Duck Breasts with Fresh Fig Sauce

 

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Prep time

8 mins

Cook time

16 mins

Total time

24 mins

 

Easy weeknight entrée, simple and elegant, great for entertaining

Author: Adapted from - Around My French Table by Dorie Greenspan

Recipe type: Entree

Cuisine: French

Serves: 4

Ingredients

• 4 small duck breasts or 2 large duck breasts - preferably Moulard
• 1 thyme spring
• 3 garlic cloves, lightly smashed
• 8 green figs, quartered
• 2 teaspoons of honey
• 2 tablespoons ruby port
• 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons cold, unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
• Fresh thyme leaves for garnish

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 250 degrees F.
2. Using the point of a sharp knife, score the duck skin in a cross hatch pattern, cutting deeply into the layer of fat without cutting the meat. Season both sides of the duck breasts with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. When a few drops of water sprinkled into the pot dance and evaporate quickly, put the breasts in the Dutch oven skin side down. (you want to have a little distance from Dutch oven to avoid splatters) Cook for 8 minutes, or until the skin is brown and crisp. Turn the pieces over and cook for 3 more minutes for very rare breasts.
4. Lift the breasts out of the pot and onto a sheet of aluminum foil. Seal the breasts loosely in the foil and put in the oven on a baking sheet for 5 minutes to rest and finish cooking.
5. Pour off all but a scant tablespoon of the rendered duck fat from the Dutch oven and put the pot back on the burner over medium heat. Toss in the thyme sprigs and garlic. Stir to coat with the fat and then add the figs. Lower the heat and cook the figs gently for about 5 minutes. Transfer figs to a bowl and keep warm. Discard thyme and garlic.
6. Pour any remaining fat out of the pot, and return to burner over low heat. Add honey, and cook just until melted. Pour in port and vinegar and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper. Lower heat and using a whisk stir in butter piece by piece until you have a smooth sauce.
7. Open foil packet and pour any juice from duck into the sauce. Whisk to incorporate the juices. Place duck breasts back into the sauce, turning to coat thoroughly. Leave in sauce 30-60 seconds to warm and fully coat.
8. Serve duck breasts sliced and topped with sauce and figs, and a garnish of fresh thyme.

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