Coincidentally Waitrose featured last week a duck and cherries recipe by Delia Smith. So who do you think wins between the Queen of British cuisine and... me, self-proclaimed French culinary Goddess? I dare say on easiness, ingredients and timing, I am unbeatable. Taste-wise I did not try Delia's but this little number was a complete revelation, the juicy sweet sourness of the vinegar and cherries wrapping the duck divinely. Delia, sit tight, here I come!
Crispy duck breasts with cherries sautéed in balsamic vinegar
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Recipe by: Cuisine et Vins de France, 40 recettes avec trois ingredients, 2009 Busy:20 min, Total prep time: 25 min Serves: 4 |
Trim off any excess fat on the edges of the breasts and score the skin in criss cross shapes with a sharp knife. This will allow the meat to cook through the skin and the fat to melt away more rapidly. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
Place the duck fillets skin side down on a hot frying pan WITHOUT adding any oil, and cook over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until the skin is crispy and nicely brown.
Drain the fat off the pan and finish the fillets by turning them over onto the flesh side. Depending on your taste, cook them 1 minute for rare, 1 1/2 minute for medium rare, or 2 minutes for medium (and 3 min for well done)
When ready, set aside skin-side up between two plates to keep warm.
Pour the vinegar into the pan where the duck was cooked. Reduce over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds, scraping with a spatula the caramelised bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the cherries and their juice, reduce the heat and soften for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Slice the duck breasts and transfer to a warm serving platter. Pour around them the cherries and their juices and serve immediately with bulgur and a green salad.
Stem the cherries, cut them in halves and pit them, gathering their juices as you do so. Reserve.
Trim off any excess fat on the edges of the breasts and score the skin in criss cross shapes with a sharp knife. This will allow the meat to cook through the skin and the fat to melt away more rapidly. Season the meat on both sides with salt and pepper.
Place the duck fillets skin side down on a hot frying pan WITHOUT adding any oil, and cook over medium heat for 7 to 8 minutes, until the skin is crispy and nicely brown.
Drain the fat off the pan and finish the fillets by turning them over onto the flesh side. Depending on your taste, cook them 1 minute for rare, 1 1/2 minute for medium rare, or 2 minutes for medium (and 3 min for well done)
When ready, set aside skin-side up between two plates to keep warm.
Pour the vinegar into the pan where the duck was cooked. Reduce over medium-high heat for about 30 seconds, scraping with a spatula the caramelised bits at the bottom of the pan. Add the cherries and their juice, reduce the heat and soften for 4 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Slice the duck breasts and transfer to a warm serving platter. Pour around them the cherries and their juices and serve immediately with bulgur and a green salad.
Once the duck is cooked, keep it skin side up so the skin remains crispy. If you keep it the other way around, the meat juices will wet the skin and soften it. When cutting the breasts though, it is always best for a clean cut to start with the soft meat and finish with the hard skin against the board. Do this quickly and as soon as you are done, turn back the breast over.
Ingredients
2 large duck breasts
450g cherries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Serve with bulgur and a green salad
2 large duck breasts
450g cherries
3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper
Serve with bulgur and a green salad
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2 Comments to “Crispy duck breasts with cherries sautéed in balsamic vinegar”
June 15th, 2010 at 8:49 pm
This works equally well on the barbequeue – I pureed the cherries to make is into a sauce and it was delicious!
June 16th, 2010 at 10:00 am
Hi Anne, what a great idea, it must have been so delicious! Anne-Laure