Sear-Roasted Duck Breasts with Dried Cherry-Port Sauce

Serves 8

INGREDIENTS

8seven-ounce Long Island or Pekin duck breast halves, skin on

Kosher salt

3shallots, peeled and chopped finely

¾ cup ruby port

4cups good-quality chicken stock, reduced by half to 2 cups

¾ cup dried cherries

1teaspoon grated lemon zest 2tablespoons orange marmalade

1/8 teaspoon ground cloves

¼ cup heavy cream

¼ cup chopped parsley, plus more to garnish

DIRECTIONS

Heat the oven to 400degrees.

Trim excess fat from the edges of the duck breasts and reserve. Place the duck breasts on a work surface, skin-side up. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in a grid pattern, going halfway through the thickness of the skin/fat but not all the way through to the meat. Season the skin side of the duck generously with salt. Make the sauce: In a large saute pan set over medium heat, add 2tablespoons of trimmed duck fat. When the fat has rendered — the skin will look shriveled and start browning — add the shallots and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, 8to 10minutes.

Add the port and let it reduce to a glaze. Add the reduced chicken stock, cherries, lemon zest, marmalade, cloves and 1teaspoon kosher salt. Cook over medium heat until the cherries are very soft, but still retain their shape, and the sauce thickens, 5to 10minutes. Add cream and set aside.

Sear-roast the duck: Heat a large saute pan over medium-high heat. When hot, add the duck breasts, skin-side down, working in batches if necessary. Season the face-up side of the breast with salt. Cook until the skin is golden and much of the fat from the skin is rendered. Transfer to a sheet pan, skin-side up. When all the breasts have been seared, transfer the sheet pan to the oven. Cook the duck breasts for 8 to 10minutes, until they reach medium doneness; an instant-read thermometer should register 135to 140 degrees.

Re-warm the sauce and add parsley. Serve the duck breast with a spoonful of the cherry-port sauce on top. Garnish with a sprig of parsley.