5 from 66 votes
Duck Breast with Port and Cherry Sauce
This recipe prepares duck breasts scored and pan-seared to crisp the fat and develop a rich texture. The sauce combines port wine, cherries, black cherry preserves, shallots, and chicken stock, producing a subtly sweet and savory glaze that complements the duck’s flavor. The method involves rendering the duck fat gently for crisp skin, followed by deglazing the pan to build complexity in the sauce, ideal for a flavorful and elegant main course.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
40 mins
Total Time
50 mins
Servings:
4
people
Calories:
424 kcal
Course:
Dinner
Cuisine:
French
Ingredients
- 2 pounds duck breasts Muscovy or Moulard - halved,
- 3 shallot finely minced
- 1 cup port wine
- 2 cups Cherry pitted
- 2 tablespoons black cherry preserve
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon arrowroot
- salt sat to season
- black pepper sat to season
Instructions
- Using a sharp knife, score the fat covering each breast in a crosshatch pattern at about ½-inch intervals. Make sure that you go all the way through the fat but without cutting into the flesh. Salt and pepper generously the breasts on both sides.
- Place the skin down in a heavy skillet and place over a gentle heat, and cook until most of the fat is rendered and the skin is deeply browned and crispy, 10 to 12 minutes. Turn the breast to the other side and raise the heat to medium-high and cook for another 5 to 7 minutes.
- Remove the breast from the pan and place it in dish. Cover with aluminum foil.
- Pour off most of the fat from the pan (the original pan that the breast was cooked in and reserve the poured-off fat for another use).
- Add the shallots and stir over medium to low heat until soft, 4 to 5 minutes.
- Increase the heat and pour in the Port wine to deglaze. Boil until the port is reduced and the pan is quite dry.
- Add the cherries, cherry preserve, and chicken stock.
- Bring back to a boil and boil until reduced by more than half and the sauce is syrupy. If you prefer thicker sauce, add the cornstarch mixture and boil for a few minutes longer.
- Slice the breast against the grain and diagonally. Spoon the cherry sauce over the duck. Serve immediately
Cup of Yum
Nutrition Information
Calories
424kcal
(21%)
Carbohydrates
20g
(7%)
Protein
46g
(92%)
Fat
10g
(15%)
Saturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
(6%)
Monounsaturated Fat
3g
(15%)
Cholesterol
175mg
(58%)
Sodium
156mg
(7%)
Potassium
832mg
(18%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
14g
(28%)
Vitamin A
165IU
(3%)
Vitamin C
19mg
(21%)
Calcium
21mg
(2%)
Iron
11mg
(61%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 4 people
Amount Per Serving
Calories 424
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 424kcal | 21% |
| Carbohydrates | 20g | 7% |
| Protein | 46g | 92% |
| Fat | 10g | 15% |
| Saturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 3g | 15% |
| Cholesterol | 175mg | 58% |
| Sodium | 156mg | 7% |
| Potassium | 832mg | 18% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 14g | 28% |
| Vitamin A | 165IU | 3% |
| Vitamin C | 19mg | 21% |
| Calcium | 21mg | 2% |
| Iron | 11mg | 61% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.