Best Duck Breasts With Fresh Plum Ginger Glaze And Tomatillo Relish Recipes

SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH PLUMS AND PORT

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, 1/4 cup of the port, the shallot, ginger, red pepper flakes, cumin and pepper. Stir to combine.
• Trim away the silverskin from the meat side of the duck breasts and trim away any excess skin and fat along the edges. Score the skin by making diagonal cuts just through the skin at 1/8-inch intervals. Put the duck breasts, skin side up, on a large rimmed plate and pour the marinade over them. Marinate, turning the breasts over once or twice during the process, for 1 hour at room temperature.
• To cook the plums and make the sauce:.
• Heat the butter in a small sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Season the plums with salt and pepper and cook, tossing them occasionally, until they are browned, about 5 minutes. Using a flexible spatula, transfer the plums and most of the butter to a plate. To the pan the plums were cooked in, add the remaining 1 cup of port and the chicken stock. Remove the duck breasts from the marinade and pour the marinade into the pan as well. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until reduced by almost half. Add the browned plums to the sauce and continue to cook over lowest heat until the plums are tender (the time it takes for all this to happen is about the same time as it takes for the duck to cook).
• To cook the duck:.
• Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels. Heat enough vegetable oil to coat the bottom of a large sauté pan over medium heat. Add the duck, skin side down. As the meat cooks, fat will render. Pour this fat off, using a large spatula or plate to hold the breasts in place. Keep pouring off the fat as the duck cooks, adjusting the heat if the skin begins to burn (use your nose to detect any burning, as the sugar in the port as well as the soy sauce will blacken the skin). While the duck cooks, check on the sauce; if it seems to be reducing too much, remove from the heat.
• Turn the duck over when almost all of the fat in the skin has melted away and the skin is dark and crispy, about 12 minutes. Cook an additional 2 minutes on the flesh side. Take the pan off the heat and let the duck rest in the pan off the heat for at least 5 minutes before slicing it. At this point you can heat up the plum sauce over low heat, if you had to take it off the heat earlier because it was in danger of becoming too reduced.
• To serve:.
• Remove the duck breasts to a cutting board, skin side up. Pour any juices (but not the fat) from the sauté pan into the pan with the plums. Slice the breasts across the grain into thin pieces, about 6 slices per breast. Place the duck slices neatly on each plate. Spoon some sauce and plums onto each plate.

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.

SPICE-RUBBED DUCK BREASTS WITH PLUM SAUCE

Steps:

• Make the rub: in a bowl, combine all the rub ingredients; set aside.
• Use a sharp knife to trim excess fat from the duck breasts; if skin is very fatty, trim it to a thickness of ¼ inch.
• Score the skin in a diamond pattern.
• Coat both sides of the breasts evenly with the rub; cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to several hours.
• Make the plum sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the plum jam until liquefied and bubbling, 3-4 minutes.
• Add in the remaining sauce ingredients; cook and whisk frequently until smooth, about 2 minutes.
• Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving.
• Grill the breasts, skin side down over Direct Low heat, until the internal temperature reaches 160°, 11-13 minutes, turning once halfway through the grilling time.
• The juices should be slightly pink, the skin golden brown and crisp.
• Remove from the grill and let rest 3-4 minutes.
• Slice thinly on the bias and serve warm with the sauce.