As far as my family is concerned, pasture-raised duck is the gold standard by which all other poultry is compared. Ducks are a bit harder to raise and much more difficult to process than chickens. Otherwise, we would gladly eat duck every day.
If you’ve never cooked duck at home, I highly recommend starting out with just the breasts. Pan-seared duck breast is quick, easy, and hugely satisfying. Think of it as the ribeye of poultry, the perfect balance of red meat and luscious fat. Seared in a cast-iron pan, the skin gets perfectly crisp without over-cooking the decedent breast meat.
The duck is excellent all on its own, but if you are in the mood to dress it up a bit, duck pairs well with fruity and/or earthy accompaniments. This season, we’ve done a quick blueberry chutney on top with duck fat sautéed chanterelles on the side.
Pan-seared Duck Breast with Chanterelles
Score the skin of the duck breasts in a cross-hatch pattern. Be careful not to cut into the meat.
Generously salt both sides of the breasts. Add pepper too if you like.
Leave salted breasts on the counter for about an hour. You want them to come close to room temp before cooking.
Put the breasts, skin side down, on a cold cast iron pan. Then, put the pan over medium-high heat.
Watch for most of the fat to render and the skin to crisp up. On my stovetop this takes about eight minutes.
Once the skin is a deep golden brown flip the breasts and cook another four minutes.
Remove breasts from pan and allow to rest for five minutes before slicing. The meat should look like a medium rare steak.
While the duck rests, turn the stove down to medium-low and saute sliced chanterelles in the rendered fat left in your pan. Add crushed garlic if you desire. Salt to taste.
Blueberry Chutney
1/2 onion, finely diced
2 cups blueberries
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 1 lemon
Zest of 1 orange
1/2 cup white wine vinegar
Put all ingredients into a saucepan. Bring it to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook until the mixture begins to thicken, about 30 minutes. The chutney can be made several days ahead of time and stored in the fridge.