Duck with Cherries = Canard Aux Cerises

My inspiration for Canard Aux Cerises Recette or Duck with Cherries Recipe came with a visit to the East Side Co-Op on Central Ave Northeast Minneapolis, where I found duck breast. My friend Richard needed a ride and I went in looking for something else and came away with duck. I thought about trying Duck Confit recipe. After a quick survey of recipes, when I noticed that duck legs are required…er…I opened the fridge and saw Washington State cherries, a delicious snack food! And there it was from the deep recesses came inspiration and voilà, a familiar phrase, duck with cherries!

My experience with eating duck is limited having eaten it only a few times in my life. It is delightful. Richard and I made this recipe Duck with Sauerkraut, which has a long prep and cooking time. Unlike the Sauerkraut Recipe, Duck with Cherries recipes is easier.

Adapted here:

Crispy Duck Breast with Balsamic-Cherry Sauce

Ingredients

2 – 5 to 6-ounce skin on duck breasts

Coarse sea salt,

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 small shallot, diced

1/2 cup dry red wine *Substitution

1 Cup low-sodium chicken stock *Substitution

7 ounces Bing cherries, pitted, stemmed, and halved

2 – Tablespoon balsamic vinegar

One orange – juice only *Substitution

Black pepper

2 Teaspoon honey

½ Tablespoon very cold (unsalted) butter

Method

Take the duck breasts out of the fridge fifteen minutes before the prep. This is a good time to take the fresh cherries and halve them with a sharp knife and gently push the pits out of the center to preserve the halves. (At the time, the cherries were perfectly ripe and very easy to prepare – not too hard and not too soggy!) Set aside.

Have ready petit peas and half of shallot sliced to cook.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.

With a sharp knife score the skin of the duck breast through the fat without cutting the meat. I remembered Richard scoring the skin with a diamond pattern…I was unsure about how to go about scoring. Using my brand new razor sharp Rada knife, the scoring was a success. Nice!

Next salt duck on all sides. In a cast iron or ovenproof pan with 2 teaspoons of olive oil, cook the duck skin side down on medium low for 10-12 minutes until golden brown. Flip to cook the inside for 2 – 3 minutes to coat with duck fat. Take the duck out to drain the duck fat into a “heat proof container” leaving a couple of tablespoons of fat in the pan.

Place the duck back in the cast iron pan and into a 400- degree F oven. “Cook in a hot oven for four minutes (rare); seven minutes (medium); 10 minutes (well done). Remove the duck from the oven to rest.”

While the duck is cooking, (Roast duck internal temperature / “The USDA recommends cooking duck breasts to an internal temperature of 170°F.” I choose well done this time.)

Make Cherry Sauce:

In a small pan, sauté the shallot over a gentle heat until transparent then, add the stock*, cherries, balsamic vinegar, at the end add honey and butter. Cook over low heat until it reduces to syrup.

Remove from the heat and stir in the orange juice. Serve immediately.

At the same time (!)

In a small sauce pan with water add petit peas with some diced shallot. Cook until tender.

*Substitutions were: replaced red wine with orange juice; added honey; used stock from fennel and vegetable soup I made earlier in the day. this recipe is a replay from another in 2013.  Fennel soup with Herbs and Vegetables with Parmesan cheese

Notes: The fennel with cheese soup flavor makes a nice change as compared to a standard chicken stock for this Duck with Cherries recipe. This recipe was a challenge for me. It stretched my imagination and skill. There are many ways to prepare this recipe. But I chose to build off a simple recipe. Scary fun! Duck with cherries is good.

Thanks for stopping by my kitchen!

Have a great weekend!

I am bringing this to Fiesta Friday #186. Many thanks go out to our cohosts this week, Colleen @ Faith, Hope, Love & Luck and Alex @ Turks Who Eat.

This post would have appeared yesterday! Alas! WordPress disappeared it and thank you self for having typed this up in Word before hand. I did contact WordPress…but did not get a response that helped. I explained further details and await the results. *SIGH* Ah TECHNOLOGY. Cross your fingers…this is the many-ith time that I am adding this post.

Patience – Retriever at home found on a Photo walk – Minneapolis Mn CKatt 2017

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