France / Main
Seared Duck Breast with Pinot Noir Reduction
The acidic, fruity flavor of Pinot Noir perfectly matches the fatty, slightly gamey taste of the duck.
Ingredients
- duck breast, boneless; 28 oz4
- salt
- black pepper, freshly ground
- pinot noir wine1 1/2 cup
- shallots, very finely minced1
- olive oil1 tbsp
Quantities are auto-calculated from the original recipe as a guide. Items without numbers (e.g. “to taste”) are not changed.
Method 5 steps
Score skin of duck in a diamond pattern, being careful not to cut into the meat. Sprinkle on both sides liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Heat a large stainless steel skillet over medium high heat. Add 2 duck breasts, skin side down, and cook until skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip and cook 3 minutes. Move to a greased roasting pan and repeat with remaining duck.
Bake at 400°F for 12 minutes for medium rare. Remove and keep warm.
Pour most of the fat out, leaving 2 tbsp. Place pan back on medium high heat, add shallot, and sauté until translucent. Deglaze pan with wine and ignite carefully with a firestick, if desired. If you ignited it, wait until flames die before continuing. Bring to a boil.
Cook wine until reduced by ⅔. Slice duck on the bias and drizzle with sauce. Serve immediately.
