Seared Duck Breast with Blueberry Pan Sauce
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I love cooking duck breasts. They are far less extravagant to cook than they look and have an incredible flavor and texture. With its robust flavor and slightly gamey meat, duck pairs well with fruity flavors like this blueberry pan sauce made with just a bit of rosemary.
The skin of the duck breast is cut into a cross hatch pattern with a sharp knife so as it sears, the fat renders evenly and you wind up with a delicious crispy skin. I cook the duck on the stove in a pan rather than in the oven. The key to creating a perfectly cooked duck breast is using the correct moderate heat so the fat evenly renders, and there isn’t excess fat, but the duck doesn’t overcook. Add it to a cold pan so the fat slowly renders. Pair the pan-seared duck breast with a simple salad or roasted potatoes.
Seared Duck Breast with Blueberry Pan Sauce
Table of contents
Key Ingredients in This Recipe
- Duck breast – Duck is an under-utilized meat by home cooks. It’s tender and delicious and can be found in more upscale local grocery stores pre-packaged. If not, ask your butcher if they carry duck breasts. Scoring the duck breast with a cross hatch pattern just down to the fat, but not cutting the meat, helps the fat render evenly resulting in a crispy skin.I add it to the pan and then turn on the heat so the fat renders more slowly as the pan heats.
- Blueberries – Though blueberries are in season from April to October, they are available year round at the grocery store. Frozen blueberries are great to use off season in this recipe since they are frozen at their peak. The deep fruity flavor makes a surprisingly perfect pairing with the rich duck.
- Red wine – Red wine is used to add liquid to the pan sauce and round out the flavor. Use a dry red wine so it won’t overpower the dish by making it too sweet. While I will use just about any red wine in a pinch, I prefer cooking with pinot noir. The biggest tip when cooking with wine is to use good quality wine – never cook with anything you wouldn’t drink!
- Maple syrup – Maple syrup is a natural sweetener with a flavor profile that pairs well with blueberries. It helps to balance the flavors of the pan sauce.
- Rosemary – Rosemary adds an herbal flavor to the pan sauce.
How to Make Seared Duck Breasts with Blueberry Pan Sauce
Step 1: Score duck breasts.
Set duck breasts down on a cutting board, skin side up and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, gently score the skin crosswise in ½” (1.3cm) intervals, being careful not to cut into the meat. Rotate the breast and score again, to make a crisscross pattern. This will help the fat to render as the duck cooks. Season the duck breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
Step 2: Sear duck.
Place the duck, skin side down in a large sauté pan. Do not add any oil to the skillet! Plenty of fat will render off the duck as it cooks. Heat over medium heat and let the duck cook, untouched, until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.
Step 3: Continue to cook duck.
Turn the duck over so it’s flesh side down and sear the other side for 5 minutes. Turn it once more, skin side down, and sear for an additional 2 minutes. When you remove it, the skin should be crisp but the middle spongy but firm, cooked to a medium rare. (If you are using an instant read thermometer, cook to an internal temperature of 140°F/ 60ºC for medium-rare). Remove the duck from the pan and allow it to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
Step 4: Sauté shallots.
While the duck cools, return the pan to heat, reserving 2 tablespoons (30g) of the duck fat in the pan. Save the remaining fat for another use. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
Step 5: Make the pan sauce.
Add the blueberries, wine, maple syrup and rosemary to the pan. Turn the heat down to low and cook until the blueberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the vinegar.
Step 6: Slice duck.
Slice the duck into strips, cutting any large strips into bite size pieces if desired.
Step 7: Assemble and serve.
Spoon the sauce onto plates and top with slices of the breast.
Tips and Tricks for This Recipe
Swaps and substitutions
- This method of cooking the duck breast can be used and paired with another favorite pan sauce.
- This can be done in a sauté pan or in a cast iron skillet.
- Save the rendered duck fat for cooking vegetables or making duck fat potatoes.
What to serve with duck
- A bitter green salad with endive, chicory or frisée pairs well with the duck.
- Creamy mashed potatoes also pair well and are great for soaking up extra sauce.
- Roasted potatoes also pair well with crispy duck.
Other Recipes to Try
If you enjoy this seared duck breast recipe, give these recipes a try and follow me on Instagram for more updates:
Seared Duck Breast with Blueberry Pan Sauce
Ingredients:
- 2 (8-ounce) duck breasts
- Kosher salt, as needed
- Freshly ground black pepper, as needed
- 1 medium shallot, diced
- 1 cup blueberries
- 1 cup dry red wine
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- ½ teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 1 teaspoon red wine vinegar
Instructions:
- Set duck breasts down on a cutting board, skin side up and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, gently score the skin crosswise in ½” (1.3cm) intervals, being careful not to cut into the meat. Rotate the breast and score again, to make a crosshatch pattern. This will help the fat to render as the duck cooks. Season the duck breasts on both sides with salt and pepper.
- Place the duck, skin side down in a large sauté pan. Do not add any oil to the skillet! Plenty of fat will render off the duck as it cooks. Heat over medium heat and let the duck cook, untouched, until the skin is golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.
- Turn the duck over and sear the other side for 5 minutes. Turn it once more, skin side down, and sear for an additional 2 minutes. When you remove it, the skin should be crisp but the middle spongy but firm, cooked to a medium rare. (If you are using an instant read thermometer, cook to an internal temperature of 140°F/ 60ºC).
- Remove the duck from the pan and allow it to rest on a cutting board for 10 minutes.
- While the duck cools, return the pan to heat, reserving 2 tablespoons (30g) of the duck fat in the pan. Save the remaining fat for another use. Add the shallots and sauté until tender, about 5 minutes.
- Add the blueberries, wine, maple syrup and rosemary to the pan. Turn the heat down to low and cook until the blueberries burst and the sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Once the sauce has thickened, stir in the vinegar.
- Slice the duck into strips, cutting any large strips into bite size pieces if desired.
- Spoon the sauce onto plates and top with slices of the breast.
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