Pan Seared Duck Breasts with Mushroom Sauce

This wonderful pan-seared duck breast recipe is a follow-up to the duck confit recipe that I posted last June on using all parts of a duck. Shame on me for taking 8 months to complete the second half of the post. Discipline has been my strong suit, and gets harder these days as I am more tired than a Whole Foods paper bag reused 10 times over.  I have only 9 more weeks until my due date, and lethargy has set in early.

The saving grace with this recipe is that it is fast and good. If you are like me, and look forward to that crispy baconesque fried skin, there are a couple of steps you can take to achieve. First, with a kitchen needle or a bamboo stick or even the pointy end of a paring knife, carefully poke holes across the skin of the duck breast, taking care to avoid piercing the flesh. This is a tedious exercise but well worth the effort. The second step is to create cross-hatch slashes with a sharp knife on the surface of the skin. Both steps help to release the fat from within the skin to enable the crisping process.

Finally, I can't finish this post without thanking everyone for the supportive comments on the previous post.  When you put yourself out there, you never know what you'll get. I appreciate each and everyone of your comments and e-mails that I received sharing your own personal stories. I am quite touched and grateful for the warm souls that surround this blog.

Pan Seared Duck Breasts with Mushroom Sauce
Adapted from Reluctant Gourmet
Ingredients

• 2 duck breasts
• 1 1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 shallot, chopped 
• 1/2 cup mushrooms
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• Salt and pepper

Method

1. Cross-score the duck breasts. Salt and pepper the duck breasts. Heat on medium high a skillet, preferably a heavy-bottomed cast iron skillet. Melt 1/2 tablespoon of the butter with the oil in the pan. Sear breasts quickly on both sides. Follow the quick sear with an additional 2-3 minutes per side. Transfer from your pan and keep warm.
2. Deglaze your pan with just a splash of red wine, add remaining butter and briefly sauté your shallots.Add mushrooms and sauté until the shallots are translucent, this should take approximately 4-5 minutes.
3. Add beef broth. Simmer for approximately 10-15 minutes until sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon. Salt and pepper, to taste. 
4. Slice the duck into 1-inch thick pieces. Serve the sauce over the duck.

Serve with roasted potatoes.  Serves 2.