Duck Breasts with White Beans and Sausage

This is winter comfort food, similar to a classic cassoulet, but much simpler to make.

Ingredients

1/3 cup panko crumbs
1 teaspoon olive oil
2 boneless duck breasts - 1 pound total
1/2 pound sausage*
1/2 cup chopped shallots
1 large carrot, peeled and chopped into small pieces
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 cup dry white wine
1 cup chicken broth
2 bay leaves
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 15-ounce cans cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

Instructions

Heat a small skillet over medium-low heat. Add olive oil to pan, swirl to coat, and then add panko.
Toss to coat the panko with oil. Toast until golden brown, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes.
Transfer to bowl and allow to cool while preparing duck.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Pat duck breasts dry with paper towels. Score skin in crosshatch pattern at 1/2 inch intervals with a sharp knife, being careful not to slice through the flesh. Season on both side with salt and pepper. Heat a 12-inch ovenproof lidded pan over medium-low heat. Add 2 Tablespoons water to the pan. Place duck breasts, skin side down, in the hot skillet. Cook the duck, over low heat, for 25 minutes or until most of the fat is rendered and the skin is golden brown and crispy. Do not move the duck breast during this time. After 25 minutes, turn the duck breasts and cook the non-skin side for 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate and tent with foil.

Remove all but one Tablespoon of duck fat from the skillet. Saute shallots and carrot for about three minutes, stirring to avoid burning. Add sausage to pan and continue cooking for an additional five minutes, turning sausage to brown on all sides. Add garlic and thyme to pan and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add wine and broth to pan, stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Add bay leaves and cannellini beans and bring to boil.

Return duck breasts to skillet, along with any accumulated juices that developed while they were  resting. Cover pan and transfer to oven. Cook for 10 minutes, Transfer duck and sausages to cutting board, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile return the pan to the stove top. Bring to a boil and allow to reduce so it is not soupy.
Taste to adjust seasoning as needed. Slice duck breasts into 1/2 to 1/2 inch slices. Slice sausages on a diagonal into four pieces. Spoon bean mixture onto 4 serving plates. Sprinkle with panko. Place one piece of sausage on each plate and fan 3 - 4 pieces of duck breast on top of the beans. Serve.


* Sausage used in this recipe should not be heavily flavored or spicy. An herbal sausage works well as does lamb sausage.  Even plain kielbasa will work. I used a fresh pork sausage.

Duck Breast with Cherry Chutney

This is what I am serving for Christmas Eve dinner this year. This recipe was originally posted on President Obama's 2008 inauguration site. It was served at the inauguration luncheon for Barack Obama that year. Some call this recipe Duck a l'Obama.
Whole duck is greasy and messy to prepare, but using frozen duck breast fillets, it is simple to do. There are a lot of ingredients in this recipe, but they provide layers of flavor in the cherry chutney sauce.
This recipe serves 10.

Ingredients

1 Tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup chopped onion
3 crushed garlic cloves
1 Tablespoon chopped shallots
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 plum tomato, chopped
1/4 cup dry red wine
1.5 - 2 Tablespoon cider vinegar
2 Tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 cups ( 2 cans ) canned Bing cherries, quartered
1/2 cup  golden raisins
10 (6 ounce) boneless duck breasts with skin  (available at Whole Foods in the frozen meats section)
2 Tablespoons water
1 Tablespoon chopped chives

Instructions

Heat oil. Add onions, garlic and shallot. Cook, stirring until golden, about 7 minutes. Add tomato, black pepper, cumin, red pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring for 30 seconds. Reduce heat and add red bell pepper and cook, stirring until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in wine, vinegar to taste and sugar. Simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cup cherries and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Simmer one minute. Allow to cool slightly and  reserve all except 1/4 cup of the mixture. Blend the 1/4 cup of the mixture in blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Reserve this mixture to glaze the duck. To the remainder of the chutney, add the remaining 1.5 cups of cherries,chives and raisins. This can be prepared one day ahead.

Heat oven to 450 degrees and place rack in middle of oven. Score duck in crosshatch pattern with sharp knife (on the fat side). Season with salt and pepper. Heat water in  ovenproof skillet over low heat. When water is hot, add duck, skin side down. Cook, uncovered, over low heat, without turning, until most of the fat is rendered and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes. Remove duck to plate.
Remove all but 1 Tablespoon of fat from pan. Return duck to skillet, skin side up, and brush duck with reserved glaze. Roast duck in oven for about 8 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Cut duck into slices and serve with cherry chutney.