| Total: | 30 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
| Total: | 30 min |
| Prep: | 10 min |
| Cook: | 20 min |
| Yield: | 4 servings |
Ingredients
- 4 (6-ounce) boneless duck breasts (They may come as 1 butterflied breast. If so, slice down the middle to separate them.) The best ducks are Moscovy ducks, available from specialty butchers, but any duck will work.)
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 4 shallots, minced
- 1/4 cup creme de Cassis
- 1/2 cup black currant jam (unsweetened if possible), or black cherry, boysenberry, or similar preserve
- 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
- Place the duck skin side up. Using a sharp knife, score 4 (1/4-inch-deep) cuts across the skin at a 45 degree angle. Sprinkle 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper over the meat side of each duck breast.
- Heat a well-seasoned skillet or nonstick pan over high heat. When pan is hot, add duck breasts, skin side down, and cook for 5 minutes, or until skin is brown and crispy. Flip and cook for 2 more minutes. If you are unfamiliar with duck breasts, don’t be put off by their unusual look. The fat-to-meat proportions reverse themselves when cooked, as much of the fat is rendered and the meat expands.
- Remove pan from heat (save the drippings) and transfer duck breasts, skin side up, to a cooking sheet lined with aluminum foil. Bake on the top rack of the oven for 6 minutes.
- Carefully discard all but 2 tablespoons of duck drippings from the pan. Return pan to medium heat and add shallot. Stir occasionally for 3 minutes, or until shallot begins to turn golden. Add Cassis to the pan and stir with a wooden spoon to loosen up the browned bits left by the duck. Add jam, vinegar, and remaining teaspoon of black pepper, and stir occasionally for 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
- Remove duck from the oven and slice each breast at a 45 degree angle into 1/4-inch-thick strips (properly cooked duck should resemble medium-rare steak). Arrange in a fanlike pattern on a warmed plates and spoon Cassis compote overtop. Serve immediately.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 344 |
| Total Fat | 4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 33 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 71 mg |
| Sodium | 659 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 4 servings |
| Calories | 344 |
| Total Fat | 4 g |
| Saturated Fat | 1 g |
| Carbohydrates | 49 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 3 g |
| Sugar | 33 g |
| Protein | 20 g |
| Cholesterol | 71 mg |
| Sodium | 659 mg |
Reviews
Excellent! This is by far our favorite duck recipe and it has replaced turkey for our thanksgiving dinner main attraction.
First I am by no means a professional chef but I do like to try new recipes. I do love duck and was looking for a good recipe and I found it. This is one of the best things I have ever made and tasted. I had something very similar in a restaurant near by and loved it. When I found this recipe and made it I was pleasantly surprised. It truly is easy and taste very good. My suggestions are one if you don’t like it sweet foods cut back on the current and Creme de Cassis. You really could use any fruity liquor and or jam if you want. The other suggestion is watch the oven time. I like my duck more on the rare side and if you let it sit in the oven for the allotted time or more it will be over cooked beyond medium but every oven is different. I usually pan fry the duck for just a minute then put it in the oven for 4-5 min or less. Other than that this recipe is absolutely perfect and so delicious. If duck wasn’t so expensive meat I would be making this at least once a week. But for now I only make it a few times a year.
I was given a very nice bottle of creme de cassis and searching on the net on how to use it in cooking. Try this recipe and it was amazing!!
its delicious, the flavours are just spot on. I did however use normal black cherry jam so i put less of an amount in it.
its delicious, the flavours are just spot on. I did however use normal black cherry jam so i put less of an amount in it.
cannot even describe how easy this is but the result is incredible! thank you!
Absolutely foolproof. Super quick for a fabulous weekday night dinner. The kids love this with mashed potatoes and a quick salad. One change – I use a lot less (approx. 1/4 cup of the preserves, usually blueberry, and stir in a pat of butter at the end. Awesome!
one of the best duck dinners ever!!!! The sauce was OUT of THIS WORLD! I used black cherry preserves as I couldn’t find black currant jam.
I didn’t have cassis on hand or any black berry jam, but I did have kirsch and sour cherry jam, which worked just as well. Be imaginative with the fruit…it all works.
wonderful
This was one of the simplest recipes I have ever made, and yet the most delicious. I served over some creamy parmesan & herb grits topped with mache…everyone thrilled with it. It tasted and looked spectacular!
This recipe was surprisingly easy to prepare, and the finished product was very impressive. I served the duck over savory parmesan, oregano, and sage grits for a dinner party. This is an excellent dish for entertaining.
WONDERFUL!!! I first had duck in Paris and have been so affraid to even try to cook it. This was so easy and so delicious. I did cut back on the balsamic vinegar to 1 Tablespoon. A 1/4 cup just seemed like a lot.