Roasted Duck With Figs Recipes

Steps:

• For the duck breasts: Sprinkle each duck breast liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the vegetable oil in a large cast-iron skillet over medium-low heat. Add the duck skin-side down and reduce the heat to low, cooking as the fat slowly renders and the skin becomes crispy, 8 to 10 minutes.
• Once the skin is crispy and golden brown, flip and continue cooking until a thermometer reads 128 to 130 degrees F when inserted into the thickest part of the breast (for medium-rare doneness), 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate or cutting board and allow to rest about 5 minutes. It will carryover cook to about 135 degrees F. Don't tent with foil in order to ensure the duck skin will stay crispy.
• For the fig sauce: Pour off all but 1 or 2 tablespoons of fat from the skillet, reserving the excess for another use. Over medium heat, add the shallots and cook until softened. Add the sherry and reduce by half. Next, add the chicken broth, fig jam and balsamic vinegar, and continue simmering until the sauce has thickened and is syrupy, another 5 to 7 minutes. Remove from the heat, season with salt and pepper and whisk in the butter. Garnish with chopped chives.
• Serve the sauce alongside thinly sliced duck breast.

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• Place a pan over high heat. Sear the ducks all around (about 2 minutes a duck). Place them in the roasting pan.
• Salt and pepper in the duck cavities and skin, brush with oil, and arrange the ducks breasts down. Roast for 15 minutes. Turn the ducks breast side up, and roast for 30 minutes more. Remove them from the oven, and pour off any fat.
• Scatter the onions, carrots, celery, garlic, rosemary and thyme around the ducks. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees; then, return the ducks to the oven. Cook for 30 minutes more. Brush the duck breasts and legs with honey. Cook for 30 minutes, brushing on more honey from time to time.
• Remove the ducks from the oven, place on a platter and keep warm. Strain the vegetables, and place them in a saucepan. Add the Port, bring to a simmer and reduce by about one-quarter.
• Meanwhile, melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat, add figs and cook about 2 minutes. Add sauce from ducks, cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Keep warm.
• To serve, carve the breasts and legs from the ducks. In the center of four large, warm plates, place a breast and a leg, reserving the rest of the duck for other uses. Add three figs on one side and the spinach timbale on the other. Pour the sauce evenly over the meat.