Seared Duck Breast with Foie Gras Stuffing and Sour Cherry Reduction

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 raw duck breasts (buy online)
• 1 tablespoon red verjus (buy online)
• 1/4 teaspoon soy sauce

Sauce

• 1 ¼ cup red wine
• 1 cup duck or chicken stock
• 1/4 cup sour cherries
• Salt and cracked pepper
• 1 teaspoon cold unsalted butter

Stuffing

• 1 ¾ cup inch cubes French bread
• 1/3 cup chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
• 1/8 cup chopped celery
• 1/4 cup chopped onion
• Pinch fresh chopped rosemary plus several sprigs rosemary for garnish
• 4 oz foie gras torchon or terrine cut into 1/2 inch cubes (buy online)

Instructions

Score the skin of the duck breast in a cross-hatch pattern. Marinate the duck breast in verjus and soy sauce for at least 2 hours.

For the sauce, cook the wine over medium heat until reduced to 1/8 cup. Add the stock and reduce to 1/2 cup. Add the sour cherries and some cracked pepper and simmer for 2 – 3 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

For the stuffing, Toast the bread cubes in a 350 degree oven until golden and crisp. Saute the garlic, celery, onion and rosemary in the butter for about 5 minutes or until the onion is translucent. Season with salt and pepper. Add the bread cubes and heat for a few minutes. Meanwhile, heat the chicken stock in another pan until it simmers. Add stock a little at a time to the crouton mixture until evenly moist. Add salt and pepper to taste. Keep stuffing warm.

Put the duck breast in a hot pan, skin side down. Turn the pan to medium high and cook until the skin is crisp and brown, about 5 – 7 minutes. Turn over and cook for just a minute or two. Remove from pan when duck is rare. Set aside, covered.

Finish the sauce by incorporating the cold butter into the warm sour cherry sauce. Slice the duck breast into strips.

To serve, add the foie gras cubes to the stuffing and stir carefully. Place a large spoonful of the stuffing on each plate. Fan the duck breast over the stuffing. Spoon the sour cherry sauce on top of the duck and stuffing.

Garnish with fresh rosemary sprigs.