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.

32 comments:

  1. Than a Whole Foods paper bag...that is funny. =) This looks PERFECTLY cooked and so exciting! 9 weeks will fly by!

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  2. I still haven't made duck at home. I almost attempted it for Valentine's Day but chickened out and made lamb. You make duck look so easy, and I really appreciate all of the tips. One of these days I will just get brave and buy some duck breasts to cook at home.

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  3. Looks very tempting! Perfect combo of duck breasts and mushroom sauce!

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  4. You may have just become my new hero. Duck = intimidation for me. But you said the magic words: fast and good. I love duck but have never made it, and this looks so good! I am bookmarking this for future use.

    Angie @ Cocina Diary

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  5. Wow, your duck looks like it was cooked PERFECTLY!

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  6. This looks very yummy. I have honestly never tried duck so maybe this easy recipe will be my introduction.

    Enjoy your last 9 weeks of freedom. :) You'll probably get a second wind real soon.

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  7. I LOVE crispy duck skin! I can't wait to try this, Christine! Thank you so much for sharing.

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  8. I love roasted duck. This one looks delicious. Get all the rest you can. I wish you the best.

    Blessings,

    Mari

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  9. I have one duck breast left in the fridge after cooking ... a good change from orange sauces to make a mushroom sauce... thanks for the inspiration... keep your head up... so many things to look forward to!

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  10. Pan seared duck is always my favorite, and it looks absolutely delicious with this mushroom sauce, nice!

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  11. Gorgeous dish--I so love duck. Only 9 weeks--you must be getting excited. ;-)

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  12. I've never made duck. Yours looks and sounds wonderful!

    Only 9 more weeks! Such an exciting time!

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  13. Oooh...9 more weeks. Must be really exciting though I know it probably looks long for you :P Just relax and enjoy. Love your duck. My girl is cooking something there which smells so nice while I am looking at your duck dish here. I keep thinking the smell comes from my computer screen...haha. I think I will just imagine I am eating your duck afterwards! :D

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  14. The duck breast looks delicious. I love the crispy skin and it does take a bit of extra care to make it just right. The mushroom sauce looks and sounds perfect to top it off.

    I hope the nine weeks pass swiftly and kindly!! So exciting. Take good care.

    Best,
    Bonnie

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  15. They are gorgeous comforted by the mushrooms..Thank you!

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  16. This looks absolutely beautiful, Christine!

    And RE: your last post, it seems that the Asian women in our mother's generation suffered through so much in their marriages. My mom, like yours went through horrendous experiences. This makes me so sad for her, and yet ever grateful for my husband.

    Only two more months?! And the baby arrives! :)

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  17. Duck is not something I have conquered at home but it is fun to imagine all that can be accomplished.

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  18. I love this! I have been dreaming of making a similar dish for a long time; so I need to just make it!

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  19. Nothing better than duck! I have made duck with a variety of fruit sauces, but I really like the idea of a mushroom sauce!

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  20. That duck looks positively delicious! Love how you describe the baconesque skin - isn't it just divine?! Best of luck on these last weeks before your due date - so exciting! Hopefully the time will pass quickly - hang in there:)

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  21. it looks so good especially with the mushroom sauce... i love roasted duck but haven't had it yet at home.. hmm maybe it's about time to try.
    enjoy the rest of your pregnancy... life will be different when the baby comes... take care!

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  22. What a delicious recipe to discover right before going to bed! I absolutely ADORE duck meat in almost any shape or form, and this is one of my favorites. THe sauce seems to die for :P

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  23. Thanks for all these great tips on making a seared duck as beautiful as this! It looks incredibly delicious! Where do you buy your duck here in the city?

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  24. Thanks everyone for your kind comments.

    Joanne - I like to purchase ducks from either Quattro Farms, Dickson's Farm Stand in Chelsea, or Whole Foods. If you purchase from Dickson's you can buy the duck breast already segmented, otherwise Quattro and Whole Foods sells ducks whole, and you'll have to cut it apart yourself, which is what I like to do. Getting a whole duck means that you can confit the duck legs, sear the breasts, and the rest can go into a stock pot to make a flavorful rich broth.

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  25. Beautiful post and lovely pictures. You make it look so easy! (but I know it's not!)

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  26. That is some crispy looking goodness! Hope the next couple weeks go smoothly for you.

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  27. I still have to cook duck...yours with the mushroom sauce looks fantastic...very tasty!

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  28. Christine, I love duck but never cook it at home. Somehow I associate it with fancy restaurants and events. Your preparation of it makes it seem more accessible.

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  29. This looks absolutely fabulous! Love duck and yours is perfectly cooked with that crispy skin. And love the mushroom sauce! Fast and easy? I need to try this!

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  30. Nine more weeks, wow...this is a beautifully prepared duck!

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  31. Oh my, this looks sumptuous. Easy works for me too!

    I can't believe you only have 9 weeks left!

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  32. You're closing in on the final stretch, I be you are excited. That you can keep up with such incredible posts on this blog is amazing, that's a lot of energy there, I can only imagine what you are like at full throttle.

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