If you are actually reading this, I must say…I’M IMPRESSED! Most people, myself included, would typically shy away from such a seemingly intimidating and French-bent recipe.

Growing up, the most exotic protein that we ate at home was turkey. On Thanksgiving, nonetheless. Hell, it wasn’t until I was out of college that I sampled my first pork chop (Sorry Grandma!), or tasted rack-of-lamb paired with that freaky green-colored mint jelly. So you can imagine how long it took for me to experiment with anything that wasn’t beef or chicken in my own kitchen!

While I love duck confit as much as the next guy, it’s not the simplest recipe to whip up after a long day (…of working from home). However, the opposite can be said for a duck breast, especially one of high quality (I source mine from Maple Leaf Farms): Besides salt and freshly-ground black pepper, all you need is an oven-safe skillet and you’re well on your way to creating an easy, healthy, and outrageously delicious entree. While you could certainly stop there, I recommend pairing this delightful morsel of poultry with a homemade gastrique, which is a French sweet and sour sauce made with vinegar, wine, and your favorite in-season fruit(s)!

Got 30-minutes? Great! If you’re ready to impress the hell out of someone (even if that ‘someone’ is yourself) and don’t have much time on your hands, this fancy’ish recipe is for you! Treat yo’self!

Supplies/utensils needed for both recipes in this dish:

• Fine mesh sieve

• Small saucepan w/ lid

• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

• Oven-safe skillet

• Cutting board

• Good steak knife

Orange-Cranberry Gastrique

Yields 2 ounces of sauce

Ingredients:

• 1 T salted butter

• 1/2 shallot, peeled and minced

• 1/2 cup fresh, raw cranberries

• 1/2 cup peeled and de-seeded orange, cut in to 1/2-inch pieces (You can use any orange variety!)

• 1.5 T sugar

• 1.5 T red wine (I used a California Syrah blend)

• 1.5 T roasted garlic-flavored rice vinegar

• Optional: fresh spring of rosemary

Method:

1. Melt the butter in a small saucepan over low to medium heat.

2. Add the shallots and season with a pinch of salt and freshly-ground black pepper. Saute until translucent, about 3-5 mins.

3. Add the fruit, sugar, wine, vinegar, and optional sprig of fresh rosemary.  Bring to a light boil over medium-high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes.

4. Remove from heat.

5. In a bowl, strain the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve, with the aid of the back of a spoon to get every last morsel!

6. Return the finished gastrique to the saucepan and cover to keep warm. Set aside.

Pan-seared Duck Breast

Serves one (with a hearty appetite), or two (if served atop a bed of greens and accompanied by other items); double the recipe for two large portions

Ingredients:

• 1 1-lb duck breast (I source mine from Maple Leaf Farms)

• Salt and freshly-ground black pepper

Method:

1. Working with a chilled duck breast (fresh from the refrigerator), pat dry with a paper towel.

2. With a sharp knife, gently score the skin of the breast, taking care not to cut in to the flesh.

3. Season the duck on both sides with salt and freshly-ground black pepper.

4. Preheat the oven to 400F.

5. Starting with a cold and dry oven-safe skillet, place the duck skin side-down.  Cook for 13-minutes over medium heat.

6. Flip the breast over and sear on other side for 1-minute. 

7. Flip the breast back to skin side-down, and transfer the skillet to the oven. Roast 4-minutes for medium rare (and upwards of 6-minutes for medium-well).

8. Remove from the oven and transfer to a cutting board, skin side-up. Rest for 10-minutes.

9. Slice the breast in to ½-inch pieces and top with warm Orange-Cranberry Gastrique. Bon appetit!

Until we eat again,

The Lunch Belle