Crispy Duck Breasts With Pear and Peppercorn Sauce

⏱ 25 mins 🍽 4 serving(s) 🏷 Duck Breasts

This elegant recipe transforms duck breasts into a crispy, flavourful main course. The skin is rendered until crisp and mahogany-coloured, then served with a unique sauce made from diced pear, green peppercorns, Calvados, and thyme. The sweet and piquant sauce perfectly complements the rich duck. It's a surprisingly quick dish to prepare, ideal for a special occasion meal.

Crispy Duck Breasts With Pear and Peppercorn Sauce

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 lbs boneless duck breasts
  • 1 firm-ripe bosc pear
  • 3/4 cup apple juice
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons calvados or 2 tablespoons armagnac (can use apple juice if you prefer)
  • 1 tablespoon green peppercorn, packed in brine,drained and crushed lightly
  • 1 tablespoon veal demi-glace or 1/2 extra-large vegetarian vegetable bouillon cube
  • 1 teaspoon fresh thyme leaves or 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled

Method

  1. Remove any extra fat from the duck breasts.
  2. Place a large heavy skillet on the heat and allow it to become very hot.
  3. Dry the breasts with kitchen paper and season them with salt.
  4. Lay the breasts in the hot pan, skin side down, and lower the heat to moderate.
  5. Cook for 20 minutes until the skin is crisp and deeply coloured, spooning out the rendered fat as you go.
  6. Flip the breasts over and cook for about 2 minutes for a medium-rare finish, or longer if preferred.
  7. Move the cooked breasts to a plate, cover them loosely, and keep warm.
  8. As the duck cooks, peel the pear and chop it into small dice.
  9. Drain the skillet, leaving roughly 1 tablespoon of fat, and cook the pear until it just starts to brown, for about 1 minute.
  10. Mix the apple juice with the cornstarch in a cup.
  11. Pour the Calvados or Armagnac into the skillet with the pear.
  12. Add the cornstarch mixture, green peppercorns, demi-glace or bouillon cube, and thyme to the pan. Let it simmer for 2 minutes, stirring, until the sauce thickens slightly.
  13. Slice the duck breasts and plate them, spooning the warm sauce over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Sodium144700 mg

Recipe details

CategoryDuck Breasts
AuthorMsKittyKat