Recipe

Method

1. Combine sugar and 2 tablespoons water in a small, heavy saucepan over medium-high heat; cook until sugar dissolves, stirring gently as needed to dissolve sugar evenly. Continue cooking without stiring until golden (about 5 min).

2. Remove from heat; carefully stir in cranberries and vinegar (caramelized sugar will harden and stick to spoon). Place pan over low heat until caramelized sugar melts and then remove form the heat.

3. Heat 2 teaspoons oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle 1/8 teaspoon salt and pepper over duck. Add duck to pan; cook 5 minutes.

4. Turn duck over; cook 4 minutes (or until done to degree of rare required) then remove from the pan and let the duck stand on a draining/cooling rack for 5 minutes allowing the fat to drip away. Cut duck across the grain into thin slices.

5. Once oil and duck fat mix has cooled for several minutes, return skillet to medium heat. Add remaining 1 teaspoon oil, shallots, and garlic to pan; cook 1 minute or until tender, stirring frequently.

6. Add wine to pan; increase heat to medium-high. Bring mixture to a boil; cook until reduced to 3/4 cup (about 6 minutes).

7. Add broth; bring to a boil. Cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 6 minutes). Pour wine mixture through a fine sieve into cranberry mixture; discard solids. Bring cranberry mixture to a simmer over medium heat.

8. Stir in cream; simmer 3 minutes. Remove from heat; stir in remaining 1/8 teaspoon salt.

Serve sauce over duck.

Recipe Tester Notes: The duck breasts we had were particularly thick and fatty. This meant they took an extra 5 mintues on both sides to be cooked sufficently. The seasoning of the breasts before cooking is very improtant for the flavour. Also the reduction time necessary depends on how much juice came out of the duck breast into the skillet. If there is a lot you may want to remove some before frying the onions. This dish is very fatty (to be expected with duck) but the oil will be visable on the plate.