Orange-Tarragon Duck Breast with Green Salad and Asparagus-Almond Rice

By Cindy

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons butter, divided
• 2 duck breasts, found in packaged meats case of larger markets
• Salt and pepper
• 1/3 cup orange marmalade
• 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar, divided
• 4 sprigs fresh tarragon, leaves finely chopped
• 2 to 3 tablespoons slivered almonds
• 1 cup rice
• 2 cups chicken stock
• 1 small bunch asparagus
• 1 endive, thinly sliced
• 1 bunch watercress, trimmed and stemmed
• 1 frisee, coarsely chopped
• 1 shallot
• 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 small can mandarin oranges

Details

Servings 2

Preparation

Step 1

Rub a skillet with 1 tablespoon butter. Lightly score duck breaks through skin, but not the flesh, in a cross-hatch pattern. Season duck breasts with salt and pepper and place in cold pan skin side down and turn heat on to medium-medium high. Cook until crispy, 15 minutes, turn. Drain off some of the fat and discard. Mix marmalade with 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar and tarragon, salt and pepper, reserve. Once you flip the duck, pour the marmalade sauce over top and reduce heat. Loosely cover pan and let the duck hang out a couple of minutes more.

While duck cooks, melt 1 tablespoon butter in a medium pot and toast nuts 2 minutes, add rice and toast 1 minute more. Add stock and bring to a boil. Cover and cook over low heat 15 minutes. Trim off the top 4 inches of asparagus and thinly slice on the bias. Add to rice and cook rice 2 to 3 minutes more for a total of 17 to 18 minutes.

While rice cooks, combine endive, cress and frisee in a salad bowl. Combine shallots and Dijon with 2 tablespoons vinegar, salt and pepper. Whisk in 1/4 to 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil and pour over salad. Garnish with oranges.

Serve duck breast on salad with asparagus-almond rice alongside.