Pan-fried duck breast with fig sauce

Votes: 1

Time: 45 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Duck breasts are pan-fried with the skin on, creating a deliciously crispy crust. To ensure all the fat is rendered from beneath the skin, the breasts are scored lengthwise. The rendered duck fat makes an excellent base for a delicious fig jam sauce. Seasoned with dry sherry, shallots, and balsamic vinegar, it develops a balanced tart-sweet flavor that pairs beautifully with the tender, medium-rare duck meat. Serve the duck with the fig sauce and a side of vegetables. It's a sophisticated holiday dish.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Duck

4 duck breasts at room temperature, weighing 180 g each, boneless, make cross-cuts on the surface of the skin in a grid pattern
1 teaspoon of vegetable oil
Fresh chives, chopped, for serving

Fig sauce

1 shallot, chopped
3/4 tbsp. dry sherry
1.5 cups lightly salted chicken broth
1/4 cup fig jam
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp (30 g) butter, chilled

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

Duck breasts.

Season each duck breast generously with salt and black pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Place the duck breasts skin-side down and reduce heat to low. Cook until the fat slowly renders and the skin becomes crispy, 8-10 minutes.
Once the skin is browned and crispy, flip the breasts and continue cooking until a thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 130°F (53°C) to 135°F (55°C) for medium-rare, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and let the meat rest for about 5 minutes. It will continue to heat to about 135°F (57°C). Do not cover with foil to ensure the duck skin remains crispy.

Fig sauce.

Drain almost all the fat from the pan, reserving only 1-2 tablespoons; use the rest for another dish. Place over medium heat, add the shallots, and cook until soft. Add the sherry and reduce by half. Then add the chicken broth. fig jam Add the balsamic vinegar and continue to simmer until the sauce thickens and becomes syrupy, another 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat, season with salt and pepper, and stir in the butter. Sprinkle with chives.
Serve thinly sliced duck breast with sauce and any side dish from the side.