RESET360 with Camille McLaughlin
Dinner

Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Pan Sauce

Duck breasts rendered slowly until the skin turns crackling and golden, served rosy and sliced with a sauce of cherries, shallot, thyme, and bone broth.

Why you'll love Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Pan Sauce

Duck breast is a restaurant dinner that is easier at home than most people think, and it is one of the richest, most satisfying meats there is. The secret is starting it in a cold pan, skin side down. As the pan heats slowly, the thick layer of fat under the skin melts away, the skin turns thin and crackling, and the meat stays rosy and tender.

The sauce is made in the same pan with no added sugar at all. Fresh or frozen cherries cook down with shallot, thyme, and bone broth, and their own sweetness, sharpened with a splash of balsamic, reduces into a glossy, ruby sauce that cuts through the richness of the duck. The rendered duck fat left in the pan is liquid gold: save it for roasting vegetables.

Serve it with the celery root purée or braised endive for a dinner that feels like a celebration.

Quick overview: This Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Pan Sauce takes 10 min of hands-on time and about 35 min in all and makes 4 servings, each 1 duck breast with sauce. You'll need a skillet.

Jump to recipe

Sliced seared duck breast with cherry pan sauce
Prep 10 minCook 25 minTotal 35 minServes 4Serving 1 duck breast with sauceYou'll need Skillet

Ingredients

  • 4 duck breasts (about 8 oz each), skin on
  • 3/4 tsp fine sea salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 2 shallots, finely chopped
  • 2 cups pitted sweet cherries, fresh or frozen
  • 3/4 cup chicken bone broth Label: chicken bones, water, vegetables, herbs, and salt, with no sugar, natural flavors, or oil
  • 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 tbsp cold butter
  • Make it from scratch: Chicken Bone Broth

Instructions

  1. Score the skin: Pat the duck breasts very dry. With a sharp knife, score the skin in a crosshatch pattern every 1/2 inch, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Season both sides with the salt and pepper.
  2. Render: Lay the breasts skin side down in a cold large skillet. Set it over medium-low heat and cook for 12 to 15 minutes without moving them, pouring off the fat into a heatproof jar every few minutes, until the skin is deep golden, thin, and crisp.
  3. Finish the meat: Turn the breasts and cook on the meat side for 2 to 4 minutes, until they reach 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare, or 135°F (57°C) for medium. Move them to a board, skin side up, and let them rest for 8 minutes.
  4. Make the sauce: Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of fat. Add the shallots and cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, until soft. Add the cherries, broth, balsamic, and thyme and simmer for 6 to 8 minutes, crushing a few cherries with a spoon, until the sauce reduces by about half and turns glossy.
  5. Finish the sauce: Take the pan off the heat, discard the thyme stems, and swirl in the cold butter until the sauce looks silky.
  6. Slice and serve: Slice the duck thinly on an angle and spoon the cherry sauce over and around it.

Storage and leftovers

Refrigerate leftover duck and sauce separately for up to 3 days.

Slice cold duck over a salad, or warm it gently skin side down in a skillet over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the rendered fat into a jar; it keeps in the refrigerator for months.

Variations

  • Blackberry: Use blackberries in place of the cherries.
  • Orange: Use orange segments and a little zest with the shallots for a duck à l'orange-style sauce.
  • With rosemary: Use a small sprig of rosemary in place of the thyme.
  • Pork tenderloin: Serve the same cherry sauce over sliced pork tenderloin.

Notes and tips

  • Start in a cold pan: A cold start melts the fat slowly, which is what turns the skin crisp.
  • Pour off the fat: Too much fat in the pan fries the skin instead of rendering it.
  • Use a thermometer: Duck breast is best rosy. Overcooked duck turns livery.
  • Save the fat: Duck fat roasts vegetables beautifully.

Nutrition and mindful eating

  • Duck is a rich source of protein, iron, and B vitamins, and its fat is mostly monounsaturated, the same type as in olive oil.
  • Cherries are on the low-glycemic list, and here they sweeten the sauce with no sugar added, paired with protein and fat as RESET360 always pairs fruit.
  • Bone broth adds savory depth to the sauce, and a splash of balsamic sharpens it.
  • Rendering the skin turns the fat into flavor, and a little of it goes a long way.
  • As you eat, notice the crackling skin, the rosy meat, and the bright cherry sauce together, and pay attention to how a rich dinner can satisfy you completely so dessert is an afterthought.

Frequently asked questions

Have a question about this Seared Duck Breast with Cherry Pan Sauce? Start here, with the questions people ask most.

Why start the duck in a cold pan?

A slow start melts the fat under the skin before the skin burns, which leaves it thin and crisp.

Is pink duck safe?

Duck breast is red meat in the kitchen and is traditionally served medium-rare, at 130 to 135°F (54 to 57°C).

Can I use frozen cherries?

Yes. Add them straight from frozen; they take a minute or two longer to break down.

What can I serve with it?

Celery root purée, braised endive, roasted radishes, or a green salad.

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Tags: Dinner, French