Roast Duck Breasts with Pomegranate-Chile Sauce |
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Prep Time: 0 Minutes Cook Time: 0 Minutes |
Ready In: 0 Minutes Servings: 8 |
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Pomegranate (originally from the Middle East) brings sweetness; chiles (from Mexico) bring heat. This can be made with chicken breasts instead, but be sure to roast them until cooked through. Ingredients:
1/3 cup sugar |
1/2 cup water |
2 cups refrigerated pomegranate juice (such as pom) |
2 cups low-salt chicken broth |
4 large dried california chiles,* stemmed, seeded, torn into 1-inch pieces |
1 1/2 teaspoons adobo sauce from canned chipotle chiles in adobo |
1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar |
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin (not toasted) |
coarse kosher salt |
8 5-to 6-ounce boneless duck breast halves, skin and fat trimmed to size of breast |
coarse kosher salt |
ground coriander |
fresh pomegranate seeds |
Directions:
1. For sauce: Stir sugar and 1/2 cup water in heavy large saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat; boil until syrup is deep amber color, swirling pan occasionally, about 8 minutes. Add juice, broth, and California chiles. Boil until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, about 25 minutes. Remove from heat; cool. Puree in tightly covered blender until smooth, about 2 minutes. Transfer to bowl. Whisk in adobo sauce, vinegar, and cumin. Season to taste with generous amount of coarse salt and pepper. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 week ahead. Cover and chill. Rewarm over low heat before using.
2. For duck: Preheat oven to 400°F. Score skin of duck (don't cut into flesh) with 5 cuts in 1 direction; repeat in opposite direction, making diamond pattern. Sprinkle duck all over with coarse salt, pepper, and ground coriander. Place 2 large ovenproof skillets over medium-high heat. Add duck, skin side down, to skillets, dividing equally. Cook duck until skin is crisp and deep brown, about 7 minutes. Turn duck over; cook 1 minute. Pour off fat. Transfer skillets to oven. Roast duck until cooked to mediumrare, about 5 minutes.
3. Transfer duck to cutting board. Let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice each breast crosswise on slight diagonal. Arrange slices on plates. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with pomegranate seeds.
4. * Available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.
5. ** Dried, smoked jalapeños in a spicy tomato sauce called adobo; available at some supermarkets and at specialty foods stores and Latin markets.
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