Duck is one of those proteins that I never buy on a whim. This is partly because it's expensive, but also because I like to serve duck when I'm feeling celebratory. This celebration could be as significant as a holiday meal, getting a promotion or having old friends over for dinner or as insignificant as both of my kids making it through an entire week of school without getting sent home with a fever. A win is a win, right? I feel happy when I'm eating duck. It feels rich and indulgent and special and I like to keep it that way. If you learn the proper way to cook a duck breast, not only will you be shocked at how easy it actually is, but you'll always have a special meal in your back pocket that you can pull out in a pinch.
Cooking a duck breast properly takes patience. You need to let the fat render off slowly, over heat so low you will question your sanity for about five minutes. This low temperature allows the fat to melt off without over cooking the duck breast itself. Once most of the fat is gone, the remaining bits become beautifully browned and crispy. This process takes about 20 minutes when done correctly. That might seem like a long time, but if you use your time wisely, you can prepare and cook the rest of the the dish while you wait. By multitasking, you will surprise yourself at how quickly you can put together this simple, yet impressive dish.
When I came up with this recipe, I made the mistake of asking someone "does this sound good?" to which they replied, "No, not really." I made it anyway, and guess what? It wasn't just good, it was fantastic. Even my husband, who doesn't usually like fennel, says this is now one of his favorite things I've made. When roasted, the grapes become sweeter and the fennel caramelizes which adds a warm, earthy flavor that adds a perfect balance to the duck and grapes. The addition of the balsamic glaze on top brings a slight tartness, while the fennel fronds add a freshness that completes the dish. I urge you try making this dish, even if you think the flavors sound like an odd combination or you've never cooked duck before.
You can usually find duck breast at your local grocery store. They come individually packaged. As I mentioned earlier, duck breast is not cheap, in fact, depending on the size, one single breast could cost around $30. However, it's also worth mentioning that one large duck breast is enough to feed at least three people, so if you break it down per person, $10 a head is not an outrageous amount to spend on a special meal.
Seared Duck Breast with Roasted Grapes and Fennel
Serves 4
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one magret duck breast (~16oz)
3 cups seedless grapes (I use a mixture of red and green), rinsed and dried
2-3 heads of fennel, outer layer removed, sliced (should equal about 3 cups)
4 tablespoons olive oil
fennel fronds from one head of fennel for garnish
balsamic glaze for garnish
salt and pepper to taste
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Preheat oven to 375°.
Trim away any excess fat that is hanging beyond the edge of the meat on the duck breast. With a sharp chefs knife, score the fat side of the duck, cutting diagonal lines spaced about 1/8" apart, one direction and then in the opposite direction. This creates a cross hatch pattern resulting in tiny squares. Be careful not to cut too deep when creating your cross hatch - you do not want to see the duck below the fat when you cut. The best way to achieve this is by gently dragging the center part of your knife (which is usually the sharpest) across the fat to create each cut. Season both sides well with salt.
Place the duck breast, fat side down, in a medium sized, oven safe, dry skillet or sauté pan over medium low heat. The heat should be low enough that for the first minute or so, nothing will seem to be happening. If after three minutes you still don't see any fat melting, increase your heat slightly. Oppositely, if you start to hear the duck crackling after a few minutes, reduce the heat until the pan is quiet. The duck fat should take about 15-20 minutes to render off properly. Again, if the duck seems like its starting to get crispy after 5-8 minutes, reduce heat.
While the duck is cooking, toss the grapes in 2 tablespoons of olive oil and season with salt. Spread out evenly on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Repeat with the fennel and add it to the grapes on the sheet pan. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes or until grapes are softened and nicely browned and fennel is caramelized. Once cooked, allow to cool slightly on sheet pan at room temperature.
After 15-20 minutes, check the fat side of the duck. It should be nicely browned and crispy. Remove duck from pan and pour off excess fat into a heat safe container. Raise heat to medium high and return duck to the pan, raw side down. Sear for about 4 minutes or until nicely browned. If serving rare, remove duck from the pan and allow it to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes before slicing. If medium is preferred, flip again so that the fat side is up, and place the entire skillet in the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from pan and allow to rest for 10-15 minutes before slicing. Ideally, slices should be 1/8" to 1/4" thick.
To serve: Transfer grapes and fennel to a medium sized platter and arrange sliced duck breast on top. Drizzle with balsamic glaze and sprinkle with fennel fronds. This dish can be served at room temperature.
Complete the meal:
This dish pairs well with an arugula salad with a balsamic dressing and a crusty baguette.
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