DUCK BREAST WITH CHERRY CHUTNEY

Duck Breast with Cherry Chutney image

This wonderful recipe for duck breast with cherry chutney is courtesy of Design Cuisine.Special thanks to D'Artagnan for providing the duck breasts.

Provided by Martha Stewart

Categories Food & Cooking Dinner Recipes

Number Of Ingredients 17

Ingredients

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion (from about 1 small onion)
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Scant 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
1/4 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 cups canned Bing cherries
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or chives
4 boneless duck breasts, skin-on (about 1 pound each)
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper

Steps:

Heat oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes. Add tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, cumin, red-pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
Stir in wine, vinegar, and sugar; let simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
Place 1/4 cup of the cherry mixture in the bowl of a small food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Reserve for glazing duck.
Add remaining cherries to cherry mixture, along with raisins and tarragon or chives; stir to combine. Glaze and chutney can be made up to a day in advance and stored, refrigerated, in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before using.
Using a small sharp knife, score skin side of duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern; season with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 2 tablespoons water over low heat. Add breasts, skin-side down, and cook until fat is rendered and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a rack set in the center.
Transfer breasts to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Brush duck breasts with reserved glaze and return to skillet, skin-side up. Place skillet in oven and roast until duck is medium-rare (125 degrees on an instant-read thermometer), about 15 minutes. Transfer duck to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.
Using a sharp knife, slice duck breasts at a 45-degree angle. Serve immediately with chutney.