Seared Duck Breast With Chili, Honey, & Ginger Glaze

Total Time: 36 mins Preparation Time: 20 mins Cook Time: 16 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 6
• 2 whole magret duck breasts, approximately 1 pound each, available from specialty meat markets
• salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 1 small dried ancho chili pepper (soaked in 1 cup boiling water for 30 minutes, reserve soaking water)
• 1 small onion, finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons warm honey (dissolved in 1/2 cup port wine)
• 2 scallions, chopped, about 1/2 cup

Recipe

• 1 with the point of a knife, score the skin side of the breasts in crosshatch pattern, being careful not to pierce the flesh of the meat.
• 2 season the duck breasts with salt and pepper.
• 3 heat a saute pan over medium heat for 1 minute before adding the breasts, skin side down.
• 4 cook skin side down over medium to low heat, for approximately 10 to 12 minutes to render the fat from the skin before turning the breasts over.
• 5 when the duck has rendered its fat and the skin has taken on a crisp exterior quality turn the breasts over and saute the flesh side for 3 to 4 minutes.
• 6 carefully remove the duck from the pan, place on a platter to keep warm and pour the excess fat safely into a heat proof container. (the reserved duck fat may be chilled and used for another cooking use.).
• 7 while the duck is cooking (or even before you cook the duck), remove the chili pepper from the water in which it had soaked and reserve the liquid.
• 8 place the chili into a blender and begin to puree, adding as much of the reserved liquid as necessary to create a smooth and thin paste-like texture.
• 9 this chili paste may be refrigerated for a day covered with plastic wrap or pour a tablespoon of olive oil on its surface and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
• 10 after removing the duck breasts from the pan add the onion to still hot pan and return to the heat.
• 11 add a tablespoon or two of reserved duck fat.
• 12 saute the onion briefly before adding the ginger and 2 tablespoons of the chili paste.
• 13 add the honey and port to the ginger chili, stir to combine and cook for one minute.
• 14 the breasts have rested for several minutes and should now be medium rare.
• 15 they can be sliced lengthwise or cross-wise and several slices placed on each plate.
• 16 drizzle the warm glaze over the duck or for more impact, brush some on the duck breasts before slicing, run the duck under a hot broiler for 1 minute, caramelize the glaze and then slice and drizzle.
• 17 if you desire, drizzle some around the duck breasts on the serving dish.