Seared Duck Breast with a Red Wine & Shallot Reduction

I have to admit, I love duck; however, before Valentine’s Day, I had never actually made it on my own. And, with a little research and a lot of luck, it turned out beautifully. There is a simple elegance to this dish. It is so easy to prepare and yet one of those dinners that truly amazes.

Not to worry, I won’t let you down now. There is also a gorgeous sauce to accompany this lovely duck breast (go figure!). This sauce is awesome – and not just because there’s wine in it – it’s so flavorful with a real depth to it. It’s great for the duck but would be perfect for any cut of steak, really. Now, where do you purchase duck breasts? If you’re in the D.C. area, we brought ours from the Springfield Butcher, and were very pleased by the cuts. Okay, let’s get to it.

Seared Duck Breast with a Red Wine & Shallot Reduction:

• Two magret duck breasts
• Two tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 1 shallot, minced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, minced + two sprigs for flavoring
• 1 tablespoon fresh rosemary, minced + one sprig for flavoring
• Four tablespoons butter
• 1/2 cup dry red wine
• 1/2 cup beef stock
• Salt and pepper

The duck takes roughly 13 minutes to cook so let’s prep our sauce first. Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil and 1 tablespoon butter in a sauce pan. When the pan is hot, add the shallot, garlic, thyme and rosemary to the pan (sprigs included).

Once the herbs are fragrant and the shallot and garlic are cooked through, deglaze your pan with the red wine. Let simmer for 1-2 minutes and add the beef stock and two tablespoons of butter. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If you want to thicken your sauce (which is highly encouraged) you can create cornstarch slurry or a roux – this time we made a roux and added it to the sauce – until your desired thickness has been achieved.

Let simmer on low and we will get started on the duck breast. First, score the fat on the duck breast by creating multiple X-shaped lines (roughly 1.5 inch lines) down the center of the breast. Be sure you don’t pierce the skin while scoring.

This will allow the fat to render during the cooking process. Next, in a large saute pan, heat two tablespoons olive oil and one tablespoon butter over medium-high heat. It is critical that the heat is high enough to fully render the fat and create a golden-brown crust. Sear the breasts fat-side down for five minutes. Flip the breasts and cook meat-side down for an additional 8 minutes (you can lower the heat slightly for this side).

These cooking times will allow for a perfect medium temperature. Let rest for 5-7 minutes then thinly slice for plating. So pour that beautiful sauce of yours atop the sliced duck breast and voila. Easier than you thought, eh?

Now, I have a confession to make: we had two bottles of wine with dinner (oops!). Behind door number one? 2011 Sebastiani Cabernet Sauvignon (this is the wine we pretty much had with the duck, just for the record). It has depth and a beautiful intensity with a lingering velvety finish. So delicious. Behind door number two? 2010 Jefferson Cabernet Franc. More of a medium-bodied wine and fruit forward with notes of tobacco and mild spice. With that, please do enjoy. This is so yummy.

Cheers!