Duck Breast With Fig and Port Sauce

By zboni

Ingredients

• 2 large duck breast halves
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon fresh thyme, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• salt & pepper
• 1 cup beef stock or beef broth
• 1 cup chicken stock or chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 large shallot, minced
• 1/2 cup port wine
• 4 tablespoons fig preserves
• 1 tablespoon flour

Details

Servings 4

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat oven to 400°F.

In a pan, combine beef stock and chicken stock. Bring to boil and let simmer until mixture is reduced down to 1/2 cup. Set stock reduction to the side.
While stock is reducing on the stove, lightly score fat side of duck breast, with a sharp knife, in a diamond pattern. Sprinkle duck breasts with thyme, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper to season. Let sit, for 20 minutes.
In a hot skillet pan, heat to medium high. Add olive oil. Add duck breast, fat (skin) side down, and cook for 6 minutes.
Turn duck over and let cook 2 minutes.
Remove duck breast to foil lined baking pan, meat side down, and bake in oven for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on cutting board for at least 5minutes.
Meanwhile in skillet, drain off most of fat. Add 2 tbsp of butter to pan.
Add shallot and cook until tender.
Add port wine and bring to a boil. Reduce by half.
Add 1/2 cup stock reduction and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer sauce low until reduced by 1/3 or sauce is a syrupy glaze.
Add fig preserves. Stir until completely melted and combined into sauce.
In a cup combine remaining 1 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp butter (beurre manie).
Add flour mixture to sauce and stir well to combine. Bring sauce to boil, stirring, until sauce thickens. That will take only 2 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
Cut duck breast, into 1/2 inch slices, angled, against the grain.
On serving plates, place sauce on bottom and place several slices of duck breast on top. Drizzle just a bit more sauce over top of duck slices. Repeat on all serving plates.
Serve immediately. Bon Appetit.