Roast Duck Breasts with Pomegranate-Chile Sauce
Succulent duck breasts with crispy skin served with a complex sweet-spicy pomegranate sauce featuring California chiles and adobo, finished with fresh pomegranate seeds. The sauce balances sweet, tart and spicy flavors that perfectly complement the rich duck meat.
Ingredients
- •⅓ cup sugar
- •½ cup water
- •2 cups refrigerated pomegranate juice (such as Pom)
- •2 cups low-salt chicken broth
- •4 large dried California chiles
- •1½ teaspoons adobo sauce
- •1½ teaspoons balsamic vinegar
- •⅛ teaspoon ground cumin
- •to taste Coarse kosher salt
- •8 pieces boneless duck breast halves
- •to taste Coarse kosher salt
- •to taste Ground coriander
- •for garnish Fresh pomegranate seeds
Cooking Instructions
- 1.
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.
35 min
- 2.
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.
13 min
- 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.
5 min
- 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.
