Duck Breasts With Dulce De Leche Chile Sauce Recipes

DUCK BREASTS WITH CITRUS PORT CHERRY SAUCE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
• Score the skin of the duck breast with a knife in 2 directions, crossing over each other (makes a crosshatch). Season both sides of each duck breast with salt and pepper.
• In a large nonstick skillet, over medium-high heat, place the duck breasts skin side down. Sear the breasts until the skin is golden brown about 10 minutes, flip and sear the other side for just 3 minutes. Place the seared duck breasts in a baking dish skin side up, and put them in oven. Bake for 12 minutes. Remove the duck breasts from the oven and allow them to rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile, pour off most excess fat from skillet, and place it back on the stovetop over medium heat. Add the shallots and saute until translucent. Pour in the port wine and orange juice, and scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan. Add the orange zest and chopped cherries and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 5 minutes to reduce the mixture and thicken, mashing the cherries with the back of a wooden spoon to extract flavor as they cook.
• Slice the breasts into 1/4-inch slices on a diagonal. Pour the cherry port sauce over the top and enjoy!
• Cook's Note: excess duck fat can be refrigerated and is great for cooking potatoes or eggs.

ROAST DUCK BREASTS WITH POMEGRANATE-CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• For sauce:
• Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until syrup is deep amber color, swirling pan occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add juice, broth, and California chiles. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Puree in tightly covered blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Whisk in adobo sauce, vinegar, and cumin. Season to taste with generous amount of coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat before using.
• For duck:
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Score skin of duck (don't cut into flesh) with 5 cuts in 1 direction; repeat in opposite direction, making diamond pattern. Sprinkle duck all over with coarse salt, pepper, and ground coriander. Place 2 large ovenproof skillets over medium-high heat. Add duck, skin side down, to skillets, dividing equally. Cook duck until skin is crisp and deep brown, about 7 minutes. Turn duck over; cook 1 minute. Pour off fat. Transfer skillets to oven. Roast duck until cooked to mediumrare, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer duck to cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice each breast crosswise on slight diagonal. Arrange slices on plates. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
• Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.
• ** Dried, smoked jalapeños in a spicy tomato sauce called adobo; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.

DUCK BREASTS WITH ANCHO CHILE DULCE DE LECHE GLAZE

Steps:

• Place chiles in a small, dry, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat, and toast until slightly darkened, turning once, about 40 seconds. Transfer to a small heatproof bowl and pour over boiling water. Let stand until softened, about 20 minutes.
• Using a slotted spoon, transfer chiles to the jar of a blender. Add 1 cup soaking liquid and garlic; blend until smooth. Set aside.
• Place orange juice in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook until liquid is reduced by half; add dulce de leche and chicken stock. Bring mixture to a simmer and immediately remove from heat; set aside.
• Working in batches, season duck with salt and pepper and place, skin side down, in a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium heat. As fat begins to render out, drain into a heatproof bowl and discard or save for another use. Continue cooking until skin is well-browned, about 15 minutes. Turn, and continue cooking duck until meat is browned, about 3 minutes more. Transfer duck to a plate and repeat process with remaining duck breasts.
• Return all duck breasts to skillet, cover, and cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted horizontally in the center of a breast registers 135 degrees for medium-rare, about 6 minutes. Transfer duck to a carving board and let stand, uncovered.
• Pour out and discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from skillet. Add reserved chile and orange juice mixtures to skillet, along with any duck juices that have accumulated on the cutting board. Place over medium-high heat and cook, stirring, scraping up any browned bits that have accumulated in the bottom of the skillet, until thickened, about 6 minutes. Whisk in butter until melted. Season with salt, and chopped cilantro.
• Slice duck breasts and serve immediately with sauce.

DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Use a can opener to poke 2 small holes in the top of can.
• Fill a small pot with 4 inches of water. Place can in water, then add or remove water so that the top of the can sits 1/4-inch above the waterline. Bring water to a simmer and let simmer for 6 hours. Top off water occasionally so that it remains at the same basic level. Don't worry if a small amount of the can's contents bubble up and cloud the water during the simmering process.
• Let can cool, then open and skim off top 1/4-inch of condensed milk. What remains below should be a thick creamy, delicious caramel sauce. Serve with fresh fruit such as bananas, berries, star fruit, etc.

ASIAN-SPICED DUCK BREASTS WITH GINGER-CHILE GLAZE (GRILLED)

Steps:

• For the rub: combine all rub ingredients in a small bowl or jar with a tight fitting lid (the rub keeps well for months stored at room temperature in a jar with a tight-fitting lid).
• For the glaze: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the ginger and garlic and cook, stirring, until softened, about 5 minutes; do not brown. Add the chile paste and cook, stirring, for 1 minute. Whisk in the honey and soy sauce and simmer for just a minute, until the honey has melted. Let cool to room temperature. (The glaze can be made a few days in advance, covered, and kept refrigerated. Bring to room temperature before using).
• For the duck: Heat your grill to medium. Set aside a few tablespoons of the glaze for brushing the cooked duck.
• Using the tip of a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breasts in a crisscross pattern, being sure not to cut through to the flesh. Season with salt and pepper. Rub the skin side of each breast with a few teaspoons of the spice rub.
• Put the breasts skin side down on the grate (use the cooler part of the grill if cooking with charcoal) and grill until the skin begins to crisp, 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the breasts over, raise the heat to high or move to the hotter part of the grill, brush with the glaze, and grill, brushing often with the glaze, until medium-rare, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Remove the breasts from the grill and brush with the reserved glaze. Let rest for 5 minutes, then cut each breast into 1/2 inch thick slices. Serve immediately, sprinkled with scallions.

DULCE DE LECHE CAKE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spray two 8-inch round cake pans with baking spray; set aside.
• Whisk the flour with the baking powder and salt in a medium bowl until combined; set aside.
• Add white sugar and butter to the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high until light and fluffy, 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1/3 cup dulce de leche and vanilla; beat until well combined, 30 seconds, scraping down sides of bowl as needed. Reduce speed to low and add eggs one at a time, beating until just blended after each addition, 45 seconds. Add flour mixture alternately with 3/4 cup milk, beginning and ending with flour mixture and beating on low just until combined after each addition. Evenly divide cake batter between prepared pans.
• Bake in the preheated oven until golden and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes.
• Prepare the glaze: Whisk together 1/4 cup dulce de leche and 2 tablespoons milk until mixture is smooth.
• Invert cakes from pans onto a wire cooling rack; set rack on a baking sheet. Using a wooden skewer or fork, gently poke holes all over flat sides (bottoms) of cakes. Pour dulce de leche glaze mixture over cakes and smooth with an offset spatula to coax mixture into holes. Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.
• Prepare frosting: Beat butter in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment on medium speed until smooth, about 1 minute. With mixer running on low speed, gradually add powdered sugar, beating until smooth, about 1 minute, stopping to scrape down sides of bowl as needed. Beat in salt. Increase speed to medium, and beat until fluffy, about 2 minutes. Scrape down sides of bowl, and beat in 1/2 cup dulce de leche and rum (if using) on low speed until just incorporated, 45 seconds.
• Assemble the cake: Set a cake layer on a plate with the flat side (bottom) facing up. Evenly spread 1 cup of the frosting over the cake to the edge. Sprinkle with 1/4 cup of hazelnuts. Top with the second cake layer, rounded (top) side up. Spread the remaining frosting over the top and side of the cake. Sprinkle with remaining 1/2 cup of hazelnuts on top.

DUCK BREASTS WITH DULCE DE LECHE CHILE SAUCE

Steps:

• In a large skillet, roast the ancho chiles over moderately high heat, turning, until fragrant and pliable, about 1 minute. Transfer to a heatproff bowl; cover with 2 cups of hot water and let stand until softened, about 20 minutes. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid.
• In a small saucepan, simmer the orange juice over moderately high heat until reduced by half, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer to a blender and add the stock, dulce de leche, anchos, 1 cup of the chile soaking liquid and one-third of the garlic. Puree until smooth.
• Heat the large skillet. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper and add to the skillet, skin side down. Cook over moderate heat, spooning off the fat, until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes. Turn the duck skin side up and add the ancho chile, thyme, 2 tablespoons of the butter, the lemon juice, and the remaining garlic to the skillet. Cook, basting the duck occasionally until medium within, about 8 minutes.
• Transfer the duck to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet.
• Add the chile mixture and bring to a boil. Simmer over moderately high heat, stirring frequently, until just thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Off the heat, whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and the chopped cilantro.
• Discard the arbol chile and thyme; season the sauce with salt and pepper. Thinly slice the duck across the grain and serve with the sauce and cilantro springs.
• SERVE WITH: Sauteed spinach.

HOW TO MAKE DULCE DE LECHE

Steps:

• Wash the nail and pound it into the top of can of sweetened condensed milk to make 2 small holes on opposite sides of the top. Remove nail.
• Place the can of condensed milk into a small saucepan and pour in water to reach high up the side of the can. Bring water to a boil; reduce heat to low. Simmer milk in the can for 3 to 4 hours. Milk will slowly turn light to medium brown and become thicker as it cooks. Add more water as it boils down.
• Remove lid from can and pour dulce de leche into a bowl. Whisk to break up any lumps and mix thicker caramel from the bottom into the rest of the syrup.