Duck Breasts With Apricot Sauce And Grilled Fruit Recipes

GRILLED WILD DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Stir together the Worcestershire sauce, olive oil, hot sauce, garlic, and pepper. Add the duck breasts, and toss well to coat. Cover, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes to overnight.
• Preheat a grill for medium-high heat.
• Grill the duck to desired doneness, about 5 minutes per side for medium-well, depending on the size of the breast, and the temperature of the grill.

DUCK BREASTS WITH APRICOT SAUCE AND GRILLED FRUIT

Steps:

• Place dried apricots and orange juice in a saucepan and heat to boiling. Remove from heat, cover and let steep about 30 minutes. When cool, place in a blender and purée, adding more orange juice to thin the sauce if necessary. Return sauce to the saucepan and set aside.
• Preheat a ridged grill pan over medium-high heat. Cut fruit in half and remove pits. Brush cut sides with olive oil and place oil side down on the pan. Grill until fruit loosens easily, about 5 minutes, and turn a quarter turn to make cross-hatching grill marks. Grill until tender, about another 4 minutes. Turn over to rounded side and grill until tender throughout, about 4 minutes. Remove to a plate and keep warm.
• Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Place duck breast on a cutting board with meat sides down. Score fat side diagonally (through the fat but not through to the meat) with parallel lines 1/4 inch apart. Turn duck breast around and score it the opposite direction so that the surface is covered with little squares. Sprinkle the fat with the orange zest, salt and pepper and rub the mixture in well. Preheat a deep skillet over medium-low heat and add duck breasts, skin side down. Cook without turning until skin is crispy and golden brown and much of the fat has rendered, about 10 minutes. Place duck breasts on a baking sheet with meat sides down and bake until medium-rare, about 10 minutes.
• Heat sauce until simmering and pour enough of it over a platter to cover. Pour remaining sauce in a sauce boat. Thinly slice the duck on the bias and arrange the breasts with slices spread out on top of the sauce. Garnish with grilled fruit. Add extra sauce to taste.

APRICOT GLAZED DUCK

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
• Melt 1/4 cup of butter in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Brown the duck breasts skin side down for about 2 minutes without shaking the pan. Turn over and cook on the other side for another 2 minutes. Remove to a baking sheet and bake in the preheated oven for 10 minutes. Transfer the duck breasts to a cutting board and set aside to rest.
• Using the same pan you cooked the duck in, saute the onions, over medium heat, until golden brown. Add in the chopped apricots, apple cider vinegar, chicken stock and white wine. Cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes.
• In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch with a little cold water to create a slurry. Slowly add it to the apricot mixture, stirring constantly until the desired consistency is reached.
• Allow to cook until the paste taste disappears, about 3 to 4 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Stir in the tarragon and the remaining 3 tablespoons of butter.
• Slice the duck breast on a bias. Lay a little sauce on the base of each white serving plate and top with the duck. Spoon a little more sauce over the duck and serve.

CUMIN CILANTRO DUCK BREAST WITH APRICOT JUS AND JAPANESE EGGPLANT

Steps:

• Heat a medium saucepan with 2 tablespoons of the canola oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots, pink peppercorns, bay leaf and 2 of the thyme sprigs. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the shallots are softened and translucent, 5 minutes. Add the sugar and 1/2 cup of the sherry vinegar. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced au sec (or until there is barely anything left), a few minutes. Add the red wine and continue to reduce until almost completely dry, 5 to 6 minutes. Add 1 cup of the demi-glace and cook for 5 minutes until reduced and slightly thickened.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat, add the apricots and cook until softened. Strain the sauce into the saucepan with the apricots a. Add the remaining 1/2 cup demi-glace and reduce for 5 minutes until thickened. Stir in the butter and remaining 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar and remove from the heat.
• Score the skin on the duck in a crosshatch pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Season the duck on both sides with salt and pepper. Gently heat a dry cast-iron pan over low. Place the duck skin-side down into the pan and begin to slowly render the duck fat. Very slowly and gently, cook until most of the fat has rendered, about 20 minutes. Flip the duck and cook on the flesh side for 3 to 4 minutes, basting with some of the duck fat using the remaining 2 thyme sprigs, until the duck reaches an internal temperature of 130 degrees F for medium rare. Remove from the pan and allow to rest. Reserve some of the duck fat.
• Mix together the ground cumin and cilantro stems in a small bowl. Brush the crispy duck skin with the honey. Crust the duck with the cumin and cilantro stem mixture, making sure to firmly press onto the duck to ensure it's nicely adhered. Slice the duck lengthwise.
• Season the eggplant with salt. Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat with some of the reserved duck fat. Place the eggplant into the pan, flesh-side down. Cook until the flesh is golden brown and crispy, about 5 minutes.
• Serve the duck with the apricot jus alongside the eggplant. Garnish with the toasted hazelnuts and microgreens.

DUCK BREASTS WITH APRICOT CHUTNEY

Steps:

• For chutney, in a saucepan, combine orange juice and sugar. Cook and stir over medium heat until sugar is dissolved, about 3 minutes. Add the apricots, cherries, raisins, ginger, coriander, cumin, salt, pepper and cloves. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until apricots are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in lemon juice. Let stand at room temperature for at least 2 hours., Season both sides of duck with salt and pepper. In a large skillet, saute duck, skin side down, in oil until skin is browned; turn and cook for 1 minute. Set aside 1 tablespoon drippings. , Place duck on a greased rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 350° until meat reaches desired doneness (for medium, a thermometer should read 165°; well-done, 180°), 30-35 minutes. , For orange sauce, saute garlic in reserved drippings for 1 minute. Add wine; bring to a boil. Cook and stir until reduced by half. In a bowl, combine the cornstarch, orange juice, broth and orange zest until blended. Stir into wine mixture. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add butter and basil; whisk until smooth. Remove skin from duck if desired before slicing. Serve with orange sauce and chutney.,

ROAST DUCK WITH APRICOT GLAZE

Steps:

• Boil duck for 30-45 minutes in enough water so that it is completely submerged.
• Remove and blot dry inside and out with paper towels. Place in fridge for a couple of days to allow the skin to become very dry.
• Refrigerate the lovely greasy duck broth. Once the fat has all risen to the top, skim it off and save to use in other recipes--like potatoes roasted with duck fat----YUM.
• Reduce your duck broth, concentrating it down to 2--3 cups. Combine with veal stock and reduce down to another 2--3 cups. This will take several hours. If you wish to thicken it, make a little roux with some duck fat and some flour, slowly whisking some of the reduction, whisking continuously, allowing to boil gently. Then add the remainder of the reduction. Adjust your seasonings with salt and pepper.
• Remove duck from fridge for an hour or so before roasting.
• Preheat over to 400 degrees F.
• Salt generously and dust with the quatre epices--see note below.
• Roast breast side up for 90 minutes, spreading apricot jam on it for the last half hour.
• Remove from oven and let stand for 10 minutes if you can wait that long.
• Carve up and serve with the reduction/sauce.
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• Quater epices (meaning four spices) is a French spice blend, but it is also found in Middle Eastern kitchens. It is often used in terrines, fresh sausages, and pates. Add a heaping teaspoon to a pot of hearty stew for a surprising new depth. Here's an example of this versatile blend:.
• Combine 2 tablespoons white peppercorns, 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg,1/2 teaspoon (about 12) whole cloves, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, and 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger.
• Grind up peppercorns and cloves, and combine with the rest. Store in cool, dark, dry place.

ROAST DUCK BREAST WITH BALSAMIC AND APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan cook shallot in 1 teaspoon butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Carefully add Port and brandy and boil until reduced by half. Add demiglace and simmer 5 minutes, or until reduced to about 2/3 cup. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl and return to pan. Stir in apricot, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer sauce until apricot is just heated through and stir in remaining tablespoon butter.
• Preheat oven to 450° F.
• Put duck breasts, skin sides down, on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife and following shape of breast, trim all sinews, excess skin, and fat. With a fork carefully prick skin all over without piercing meat.
• Heat an ovenproof cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat until hot and add oil, swirling skillet until coated evenly. Pat duck dry and season with salt and pepper. Put duck, skin sides down, in skillet. Reduce heat to moderate and cook duck until skin is deep golden, about 3 minutes. Turn duck over and cook 2 minutes more. Remove duck from skillet and pour off fat. Return duck, skin sides down, to skillet and roast in middle of oven 5 minutes for medium-rare. Keep duck warm and reheat sauce over low heat.
• Slice duck on the diagonal and serve with sauce.