Duck Breasts With Apricot Chutney Food

ROAST DUCK BREAST WITH BALSAMIC AND APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Make sauce:
• In a 1 1/2-quart heavy saucepan cook shallot in 1 teaspoon butter over moderately low heat, stirring, until softened. Carefully add Port and brandy and boil until reduced by half. Add demiglace and simmer 5 minutes, or until reduced to about 2/3 cup. Pour sauce through a fine sieve into a small bowl and return to pan. Stir in apricot, vinegar, and salt and pepper to taste. Simmer sauce until apricot is just heated through and stir in remaining tablespoon butter.
• Preheat oven to 450° F.
• Put duck breasts, skin sides down, on a cutting board. Using a sharp knife and following shape of breast, trim all sinews, excess skin, and fat. With a fork carefully prick skin all over without piercing meat.
• Heat an ovenproof cast-iron skillet over moderately high heat until hot and add oil, swirling skillet until coated evenly. Pat duck dry and season with salt and pepper. Put duck, skin sides down, in skillet. Reduce heat to moderate and cook duck until skin is deep golden, about 3 minutes. Turn duck over and cook 2 minutes more. Remove duck from skillet and pour off fat. Return duck, skin sides down, to skillet and roast in middle of oven 5 minutes for medium-rare. Keep duck warm and reheat sauce over low heat.
• Slice duck on the diagonal and serve with sauce.

SEARED DUCK BREASTS WITH CHERRY RHUBARB CHUTNEY

Steps:

• combine first 10 ingredients in a large saucepan.
• bring to simmer over low heat until sugar dissolves.
• add rhubarb, onions and cherries raise heat to medium, cook until rhubarb is tender and mixture thickens, about 10 minutes, remove from heat and cool.
• for duck:.
• with a sharp knife, score the fat on the breasts in a cross pattern.
• heat a grill pan and add duck, fat side down, cook for 5 minutes.
• you can turn them to create a nice grill mark and cook for 3-5 minutes more, to taste.
• drain the fat.
• (i like mine well, family likes their's rare).
• turn over and cook 5-10 minutes more, to taste.
• serve with chutney.