My Market Year(s)

Duck with Pomegranate Honey Sauce

Posted by jimphelps on February 3, 2013 · Comments Off on Duck with Pomegranate Honey Sauce 

Duck in a pomegranate sauce spiced with fennel and coriander makes a quick and lovely lunch or main course for two.  Paired with braised napa cabbage and apples cooked with the duck makes this a simple two pan meal.   It takes about 15 minutes to make start to finish.  You could extend it by adding cannellini beans to the cabbage to make a more filling dinner.

Ingredients: 

• 1 large Duck Breast (7 to 8 ozs) or two small
• 1 tsp. Fennel Seeds
• 1 tsp. Coriander Seeds
• 1 Tbls Pomegranate Molasses (easy to make – see below)
• 1 tsp. Honey
• 1 small Apple cored and sliced into 8 wedges (use a cooking apple that will hold its shape)
• 1 small head Napa Cabbage very thinly sliced
• 3/4 C. good beef, chicken or duck stock.

Instructions:

1. Pre-heat the oven to 425F.
2. Blot the duck breast dry and score the skin deeply in a cross-hatch pattern.
3. Heat a stainless steel sauté pan over medium heat.
4. Add the Fennel and Coriander seeds to the pan and toast until fragrant (about 30 seconds)
5. Put the Fennel and Coriander into a mortar and pestle and grind fine.  Divide into two equal parts – one for the duck sauce, one for the cabbage.
6. Turn the heat up under the pan to medium high.
7. Add the duck breast skin side down and sear for 2 to 3 minutes to render the fat from the skin.
8. When there is enough fat to coat the bottom of the pan, add the apples, one cut side down and cook for another 2 minutes.
9. The skin should be very crisp and brown –  flip the duck and the apples and put into a 425F oven for 2 to 3 minutes if using small breasts or 4 to 5 minutes for a large breast (for medium).
10. While the duck cooks, mix 1/2 of the fennel mixture with the pomegranate molasses and honey in a small bowl and set aside.
11. Remove the duck from the oven and it rest.  Pull the apples out of the pan too.
12. Drain off the extra duck fat but don’t clean the pan.  You will use it one more time.
13. While the duck rests, heat a large non-stick skillet with lid over medium heat.
14. Add the cabbage, the remaining fennel mixture, salt and pepper and about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of stock to the pan.  Cover and cook over medium high heat until the cabbage has wilted.  Remove the lid and turn up the heat to cook off the extra liquid.
15. When the cabbage is done, then make the pan sauce.
16. Add 1/4 cup of stock to the duck pan and heat over medium heat to deglaze the pan.  Stir in the pomegranate honey mixture and cook until thick about 1 minute.
17. Plate the cabbage and 4 apple slices.
18. Slice the duck breast and divide between two plates and drizzle with the pan sauce.

About Pomegranate Molasses:  You can buy pomegranate molasses at middle eastern markets.  You can also make your own really easily.  It takes about an hour but there is very little you have to do while it cooks.   Buy a 1 quart bottle of un-sweetened, pure pomegranate juice.  Pour it into a sauce pan.  Add 1/2 honey and the juice of a 1/2 a lemon.   Bring everything to a boil and simmer over medium heat until the liquid is reduced to a quarter (about 1 cup) of the starting volume.   You are done.    Here is Alton Brown’s Pomegranate Molasses Recipe.