Pan-Fried Marinated Duck Breasts with Cinnamon-Spiced Cherries
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4
 
Ingredients
Instructions
  1. Whisk the marinade ingredients together in a small bowl. Trim away the silvery sinew on the flesh side of the duck breasts (otherwise they will seize up and end up half the size). Put the duck breasts into a dish large enough to sit them without overlapping but still keeping them quite snug. Make 4-5, 3mm slashes through the skin of each breast and rub the marinade all over, pushing it down into the slashes. Cover the dish and put into the fridge overnight, or for at least 6 hours.
  2. Make the sauce. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and gently sweat the shallots until softened. Add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 12 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly and the cherries have softened, but still retain their shape. Taste and add more salt if needed. This can be made in advance and gently reheated before serving.
  3. Meanwhile cook the duck breasts. Start by wiping off as much of the marinade as possible. Place the duck breasts into a large cold frying pan, skin side down. Not only does this method render the fat, it prevents it from spitting all over the place. Place over a medium heat and cook for around 7 minutes until browned, leaving undisturbed (if you try and move it too soon the skin will probably stick to the pan). Now turn the duck breasts over and continue cooking for a further 2-3 minutes, basting a few times with the fat in the pan. Remove the breasts and put them onto a plate to rest for a couple of minutes. Pour the fat through a metal sieve into a glass bowl and refrigerate for further use once cold.
  4. Using a sharp knife, slice the duck breasts on the diagonal and arrange onto plates. Remove the cinnamon stick from the cherry sauce and spoon the sauce over the duck.
Recipe by Autoimmune Wellness at https://autoimmunewellness.com/pan-fried-marinated-duck-breasts-cinnamon-spiced-cherries/