Roast Duck Breast with Pomegranate-Chipotle Sauce

     

    
WOW & OMG - whether you’re an old-schooler or a member of the texting generation, this recipe will inspire such a response. The dish is visually arresting. The picture above does not do it justice. My sauce was deeper, providing a better contrast with redder pomegranate seeds, which I think were more ripe than those in the picture. Similarly, my green beans were not overcooked, and thus more vibrantly green. I was inspired to do this dish, provided in the current issue of Bon Appetit, by the seasonal nature of pomegranates in stores now. The upcoming holidays also inspired me to do something special, and the red and green of this dish make it a potential Christmas-time selection. As wonderful as it looks, it is simple and easy to prepare. The sauce contains just a few ingredients and most of the prep time does not require attention. Similarly, roasting a duck breast is quick and easy. As for taste, what smells better than sauteed/roasted duck fat? The pomegranate sauce seems luxurious and decadent at the same time, and the chipotle spice give an added dimension that would make Bobby Flay proud. Treat that special someone to this recipe and you won’t regret it. Serves 2.
  
Ingredients:
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
2 cups pomegranate juice (such as Pom)
2 cups low-salt chicken broth
1/4 tsp ground chipotle
1 ½ tsp balsamic vinegar
1/8 tsp ground cumin
salt/pepper
1 6 oz. boneless duck breast
ground coriander
seeds from 1/2 a pomegranate
 
Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. For the sauce, in a medium sauce pan over medium heat, stir sugar into the water until sugar dissolves. Increase heat to high and boil sugar until syrup is deep amber color, about 8 minutes. Add juice and broth and simmer down until sauce is reduced to 1 ½ cups. Reduce heat to just enough to keep warm and stir in vinegar, cumin, chipotle and salt/pepper to taste.
Score the duck breast by cutting through the fat, but not the meat, 5 times on the diagonal in one direction and 5 more times the other to make a diamond pattern. Season both sides with salt, pepper and coriander. In a medium skillet over medium heat, add duck, skin side down. Cook until skin is crisp and deep brown, about 7 minutes. Turn duck over and cook a further minute. Transfer skillet to the oven and roast: 6 minutes for rare, 8 minutes medium-rare, 10 minutes for medium. Transfer duck to a cutting board and let rest 5 minutes. Thinly slice the breast cross-wise. Arrange slices on a plate, spoon sauce over, sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Pair with green beans cooked with butter and sliced almonds.