Duck breast with fig sauce is a classic dish that is both elegant and delicious. The rich, gamey flavor of the duck pairs perfectly with the sweet and tangy fig sauce, creating a memorable dining experience. Whether you are entertaining guests or simply looking for a special meal, this dish is sure to impress. With a few simple ingredients and a little bit of time, you can create a restaurant-quality meal in your own home.
Here are our top 7 tried and tested recipes!
SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH FIG SAUCE
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.
DUCK BREAST WITH FIG SAUCE
Steps:
- 1.Prepare the Duck: With a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern. In a large, shallow dish, combine the olive oil with the lemon peel, lemon juice, thyme, rosemary, shallot, horseradish and garlic. Add the duck breasts and turn to coat. Let the duck stand at room temperature for 2 hours, turning a few times. 2.Make the Fig Sauce: In a small saucepan, combine the figs with the chicken stock and bring to a boil over moderately high heat. Cover and simmer over moderately low heat until the figs are tender, about 10 minutes. Remove the figs from the stock, chop them coarsely and return them to the saucepan. 3.In a small skillet, melt the butter. Add the minced garlic and cook over moderate heat until it is fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the brandy and simmer for 1 minute. Add the rosemary sprig, figs and fig stock and simmer over moderate heat until the sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Season the fig sauce with salt and pepper, cover and keep warm. 4.Scrape the marinade from the duck breasts and season them all over with salt and pepper. Put the duck breasts in a large cast-iron skillet, skin side down, and cook them over moderately low heat until most of the fat has been rendered, about 10 minutes. Increase the heat to moderate and cook the duck breasts until the skin is browned and crisp, about 4 minutes. Turn the duck breasts and cook them until they are medium-rare, about 3 minutes longer. Transfer the duck breasts to a carving board, skin side up, and let them rest for 5 minutes. 5.Slice the duck breasts crosswise and transfer to plates. Discard the rosemary sprig, spoon the fig sauce over the sliced duck breasts and serve. Make Ahead The fig sauce can be refrigerated overnight. Reheat the sauce gently before serving.
SUSAN'S DUCK BREAST WITH FIG AND PORT SAUCE
This recipe is a creation of mine, that came together after combining 3 different recipes. I was looking to make a new and different recipe for duck breast to surprise my husband. I combined what I thought was the best combination of ingredients and flavors, then further tweaked it after making it several times. I have finally perfected it and it now turns out superb each time. This is my husband's favorite duck recipe and he request it often. It may appear to be a bit putsy, however it actually is easy. The flavors meld perfectly together creating the most complimentary sauce for the duck breast. This is an impressive main coarse to serve guest. I like to pair it with wild rice as it goes well with the richness of the duck and sauce. It is an excellent combination and never fails to get raves from my guest.
Provided by Expat in Holland
Categories Duck Breasts
Time 50m
Yield 4 serving(s)
Number Of Ingredients 13
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 400°F.
- In a pan, combine beef stock and chicken stock. Bring to boil and let simmer until mixture is reduced down to 1/2 cup. Set stock reduction to the side.
- While stock is reducing on the stove,lightly score fat side of duck breast, with a sharp knife, in a diamond pattern. Sprinkle duck breasts with thyme, garlic, paprika, salt and pepper to season. Let sit, for 20minutes.
- In a hot skillet pan, heat to medium high. Add olive oil. Add duck breast, fat (skin) side down, and cook for 6 minutes.
- Turn duck over and let cook 2 minutes.
- Remove duck breast to foil lined baking pan, meat side down, and bake in oven for 5-6 minutes. Remove from oven and let rest on cutting board for at least 5minutes.
- Meanwhile in skillet, drain off most of fat. Add 2tbsp of butter to pan.
- Add shallot and cook until tender.
- Add port wine and bring to a boil. Reduce by half.
- Add 1/2 cup stock reduction and bring mixture to a boil. Simmer sauce low until reduced by 1/3 or sauce is a syrupy glaze.
- Add fig preserves. Stir until completely melted and combined into sauce.
- In a cup combine remaining 1 tbsp flour and 1 tbsp butter (beurre manie).
- Add flour mixture to sauce and stir well to combine. Bring sauce to boil, stirring, until sauce thickens. That will take only 2 minutes or so. Remove from heat.
- Cut duck breast, into 1/2 inch slices, angled, against the grain.
- On serving plates, place sauce on bottom and place several slices of duck breast on top. Drizzle just a bit more sauce over top of duck slices. Repeat on all serving plates.
- Serve immediately. Bon Appetit.
Nutrition Facts : Calories 246.1, Fat 12.9, SaturatedFat 6.2, Cholesterol 24.7, Sodium 352.5, Carbohydrate 22.4, Fiber 0.4, Sugar 12.9, Protein 2.8
DUCK BREAST AND FIG SALAD WITH A RED WINE VINAIGRETTE
Provided by Food Network
Yield 5 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Trim duck breasts if necessary. Place in pan. In a separate bowl, mix 1/2 of the red wine vinegar, olive oil, bay leaf, thyme and shallots. Season with salt and pepper. Pour over duck and marinate for 30 minutes.
- Trim top portion of the stem on figs. Season with pepper. Place in pan and add remaining red wine vinegar and red wine. Hold aside.
- Heat grill. Grill duck until cooked to desired doneness. Brush with marinade while grilling. Reserve leftover marinade and heat on stove until it just comes to a boil. Hold aside.
- Take duck off grill and let rest. Place figs on grill to warm, skin side down. Slice duck on the bias. Divide arugula into 5 portions and put on plate. Place duck and figs on top. Sprinkle with blanched chestnuts. Drizzle cooked marinade over duck, figs and greens.
SAUTEED DUCK BREAST WITH FIGS AND PORT
Yield Serves 2
Number Of Ingredients 15
Steps:
- Remove excess fat from duck breasts. Brush breasts with oil; sprinkle with 1/2 teaspoon thyme and pepper. Cover and let stand 1 hour. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Refrigerate.)
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add duck bones, chicken backs and onion and cook until brown, turning occasionally, about 12 minutes. Add both stocks. Bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer until reduced to 3/4 cup liquid, about 1 hour. Strain and degrease duck stock. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
- Heat 1 tablespoon oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Season duck breasts with salt; add to skillet skin side down and cook 4 minutes. Turn and cook about 2 minutes longer for medium-rare. Transfer to heated platter and tent with foil to keep warm.
- Pour off fat from skillet. Add 1 tablespoon butter to skillet and melt over medium heat. Add shallot and sauté until translucent, about 2 minutes. Add Port and figs. Increase heat and boil until liquid is reduced to glaze, scraping up any browned bits, about 4 minutes. Add duck stock and boil until syrupy, adding any juices accumulated on duck platter, about 6 minutes. Remove from heat and whisk in remaining 2 tablespoons butter 1 tablespoon at a time. Season with salt and pepper.
- Thinly slice duck on diagonal. Arrange on plates. Spoon sauce over. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon thyme.
DUCK BREAST WITH FRESH FIGS
Provided by Florence Fabricant
Categories dinner, roasts, main course
Time 1h
Yield 4 to 6 servings
Number Of Ingredients 11
Steps:
- Combine five-spice powder and 1 teaspoon pepper in a bowl. Stir in soy sauce. Score fat on duck in crisscross. Rub duck on both sides with marinade. Set aside 2 hours.
- Heat a grill to very hot. Heat the oven to 200 degrees. Sear duck on fat side about a minute, until dark brown (flare-ups are normal). Turn and sear on flesh side about 1 1/2 minutes, until browned. Or sear duck over high heat in a cast-iron skillet. Place duck in a baking dish in oven.
- Dust figs with pepper; sear on grill 3 to 5 minutes, until starting to sizzle. Remove from grill and halve. Or sear figs in a skillet.
- Melt 1 tablespoon butter in a skillet, add shallots and cook until soft. Stir in thyme and half the wine. Cook until wine just films pan. Stir in stock. Add figs and remaining wine; cook until wine is reduced by a third. Stir in remaining butter. Season with salt and pepper. Remove from heat.
- When duck has baked for 45 minutes, serve it, or reduce heat to 150 degrees and keep in oven up to 30 minutes longer. To serve, slice duck on the bias. Reheat sauce and spoon over duck.
Nutrition Facts : @context http, Calories 241, UnsaturatedFat 2 grams, Carbohydrate 28 grams, Fat 7 grams, Fiber 4 grams, Protein 13 grams, SaturatedFat 3 grams, Sodium 564 milligrams, Sugar 21 grams, TransFat 0 grams
ROASTED DUCK WITH FIGS
Provided by Bryan Miller And Pierre Franey
Categories dinner, main course
Time 1h45m
Yield 4 servings
Number Of Ingredients 13
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.
Tips:
- Choose high-quality duck breasts: Look for breasts that are plump and have a good layer of fat. The fat will help to keep the breasts moist during cooking.
- Score the duck skin: This will help the fat to render and the skin to crisp up.
- Season the duck breasts generously: Use a combination of salt, pepper, and your favorite herbs and spices.
- Cook the duck breasts over medium heat: This will help to render the fat and cook the breasts evenly.
- Let the duck breasts rest before serving: This will allow the juices to redistribute throughout the meat, resulting in a more tender and flavorful dish.
- Make the fig sauce ahead of time: This will allow the flavors to develop and intensify.
- Serve the duck breasts with the fig sauce and your favorite sides, such as roasted potatoes, green beans, or a salad.
Conclusion:
Duck breast with fig sauce is a delicious and elegant dish that is perfect for a special occasion. The duck breasts are cooked to perfection and the fig sauce is rich and flavorful. This dish is sure to impress your guests.
Are you curently on diet or you just want to control your food's nutritions, ingredients? We will help you find recipes by cooking method, nutrition, ingredients...
Check it out »
You'll also love