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Seared Duck Breast with Fruit Sauce

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Makes 4 servings 1x

Time 30 minutes

In How to Cook Everything Fast, recipe directions are separated into “prep” and “cook.” Here, we’ve made that distinction with italics for prep-work and plain text for cooking. This reflects the most efficient order and timing of tasks.

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Ingredients

  • 4 boneless, skin-on duck breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1 shallot
  • 2 cups blackberries (frozen are fine)
  • 2 sprigs fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
  • 2 tablespoons butter

Instructions

  1. To score the duck skin, make a few slices across the skin on each breast, cutting down into the fat but not the meat (about 1/4 inch deep). Sprinkle both sides with salt and pepper.
  2. Put the breasts skin side down in a large skillet over medium-low heat. Cook undisturbed until much of the fat has rendered and the skin is crisp, 8 to 12 minutes.
  3. Trim, peel, and chop the shallot.
    Chop the blackberries into bits.
    Trim the thyme sprigs.
  4. When the duck skin is crisp, turn the breasts and cook until the duck is done to your liking, 2 to 4 minutes for rare (deep pink in the middle when you cut into it and peek from the back side) or cook it a little longer if you prefer it more done. Transfer the breasts to a plate and tent with foil to keep warm.
  5. Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the rendered duck fat—save it in the fridge for roasting potatoes if you want—and put the skillet over medium heat. Add the shallot and thyme and cook for a minute, then stir in the blackberries and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  6. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the berries break down and the mixture gets saucy, about 5 minutes. Stir in 2 tablespoons butter and any juices that have accumulated around the duck; taste and adjust the seasoning. Remove the thyme sprigs if you used them.
  7. Leave the duck breasts whole or slice crosswise about 1/2 inch thick if you like and spoon the sauce over the top or serve it on the side.

— Recipe from How to Cook Everything Fast