DUCK BREAST WITH SOUR CHERRY SAUCE

The first known reference to “the fairest fowl” is found in a famous anthology of Old English poetry, kept in Exeter Cathedral’s archives. It turns out this “fairest fowl” is the mythical Phoenix bird. In my opinion, when it comes to fairest fowl flavor, I would award that distinction to duck. Or more specifically, to the duck breast.

Duck breasts give big returns for little effort. Each breast has an extraordinary fat cap that, when rendered slowly by starting in a cold pan and then heating slowly, transforms into a golden, crispy wonder.

Finished in the oven for just a few minutes, the tender meat beneath that crispy cap has the richness of red meat while still being poultry. Cooked medium-rare, rested, and sliced, it presents almost like steak.

Fruit and wine sauces cut through the fat while complementing the meat, so we’ve made ours with a sour cherry reduction, exotically spiced with ginger, star anise, cinnamon, and clove. Use low-sodium chicken stock, because as the sauce reduces, it intensifies in flavor. To finish, we’ve ringed the breast with tiny roasted root vegetables for special-occasion flair.

INGREDIENTS
• Six multicolored baby carrots, peeled and trimmed
• Six tiny multicolored potatoes
• Two parsnips, peeled and cut into small pieces
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• Salt and pepper
• 2 duck breasts
• 1 large shallot, peeled and diced fine to make ¾ cup
• 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken stock
• 1/4 cup red wine
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 2 teaspoons honey
• 1 1/2 cups pitted sour cherries, thawed from frozen
• 2 cloves
• 1 star anise
• 1 small cinnamon stick
• 3 coins fresh ginger, sliced from a 1-inch piece
• 1 rosemary sprig, plus a few more small sprigs for garnishing the finished dish
• 1 tablespoon butter

METHOD
Roast the vegetables: Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place vegetables on a small sheet pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in oven. While the veggies roast, make the cherry sauce. Once veggies are roasted through and browned, remove from oven and set aside. Leave oven at 400 degrees.

Make the sour cherry sauce: In a heavy skillet over medium-low heat, add the tablespoon of olive oil and the finely chopped shallot. Cook, stirring, until the shallot is soft. Add the chicken stock and reduce liquid by half. Add the vinegar, wine, cherries, honey, ginger, spices, and rosemary sprig. Cook until reduced by two-thirds. Pour the mixture into a mesh strainer, capturing the liquid in a bowl or cup. Remove and discard the ginger, cinnamon stick, cloves, and star anise. Pour the liquid back into the skillet and reduce again until sauce is deeply colored and beginning to thicken. Stir in butter for a glossy finish. Spoon cherries back into the sauce and set aside.

Make the duck breasts: Pat duck breasts dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper. Using a very sharp knife and great care, slice the skin diagonally in four or five stripes. Then slice four or five more stripes in the other direction to create a crosshatch pattern. Place breasts in a heavy, cold, oven-safe skillet skin side down. Do not add any oil to the pan. Cook the breasts over medium-low heat to slowly render the fat. Cook until skin is crisp and deeply golden, about 6 minutes. Flip the breasts and cook for an additional 3 minutes. Pour off the rendered duck fat to save for another use later. Transfer the pan with the breasts to the preheated oven and roast an additional 5 minutes. Remove from oven and rest the breasts for an additional 5 minutes.

Plate the finished dish: Slice duck breast and arrange in the center of the plate. Arrange roasted vegetables around the duck. Spoon spiced sour cherry sauce and cherries over the duck. Garnish with one or two sprigs of fresh rosemary. Repeat with the second serving. Serve immediately.