By Aunt Linda and Roy came to Nashville for the long weekend. They flew in Friday afternoon and stayed at the Hampton Inn near the apartment. They wanted to see Brayden walking. The trip was small and warm in the way grandparent visits get when the baby is in the standing-and-walking phase. Linda brought a hand-knit sweater she’d started in January, finished a week before the trip, sized for two-year-olds because she’d wanted to over-knit on the size so Brayden would still be wearing it next year.
Sunday I made duck with brandy bing cherry sauce because Roy had requested it Friday night at dinner — he’d had a similar dish at a Tulsa restaurant called Polo Grill in February for his and Linda’s anniversary and had been thinking about it ever since. The Polo Grill version had used dried tart cherries and bourbon; my version uses fresh-frozen bing cherries and brandy because that’s what was in the apartment kitchen.
The technique: two duck breasts (Mukerry-style or magret duck breast, available at higher-end groceries; the apartment’s upscale grocery had them in the meat case for fifteen dollars a breast). The duck breasts scored crosshatch through the fat cap with a sharp knife (don’t cut into the meat, just the fat) at quarter-inch intervals. Salted heavily on both sides.
The cook: place the duck breasts skin-down in a cold heavy skillet (cold pan, cold breasts — this is the duck-breast rule that lives in every French cookbook). Set over medium heat. Render the fat slowly for ten to twelve minutes, pouring off accumulated fat into a heat-proof container as it renders. The skin will become deeply crispy. Flip the breasts and cook for three to four minutes on the meat side until the internal temperature reaches one-thirty-five for medium-rare. Out of the pan to a cutting board, tented with foil, rested ten minutes.
The pan sauce in the same pan: drain off most of the rendered duck fat (save it for cooking other things; duck fat is gold). Add a finely diced shallot, sweat three minutes. A quarter-cup of brandy added to deglaze (it will flame briefly; let it burn off). Two cups of fresh-frozen bing cherries (pitted) added with a quarter-cup of low-sodium chicken broth, two tablespoons of brown sugar, a tablespoon of red wine vinegar, a sprig of fresh thyme. Simmered for ten minutes until the cherries break down slightly and the sauce reduces to coat.
Off the heat, swirl in a tablespoon of cold butter for the gloss. Salt, pepper.
The duck sliced thin against the grain. Plated with the cherry sauce spooned generously around. Roy had two breasts’ worth. Linda had half a breast. The dish reads as French bistro at home.
Cold pan, cold breasts, render the fat slowly. Brandy deglaze, bing cherries, butter swirl off-heat. Here’s the build.
Duck with Brandy Bing Cherry Sauce
Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 1 hour 45 minutes | Total Time: 2 hours 5 minutes | Servings: 4
Ingredients
- 1 whole duck (about 4–5 lbs), giblets removed
- 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 small orange, halved
- 3 sprigs fresh rosemary
- For the Brandy Bing Cherry Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
- 1 shallot, finely minced
- 1/3 cup brandy
- 1 cup Bing cherries, pitted (fresh or frozen, thawed)
- 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken or duck stock
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- Pinch of ground cloves
- Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Prep the duck. Preheat oven to 375°F. Pat the duck completely dry with paper towels inside and out. Using a sharp fork or skewer, prick the skin all over (especially the thighs and breast) without piercing the meat—this helps render the fat.
- Season. Mix together salt, pepper, garlic powder, and thyme. Rub the seasoning all over the outside of the duck and inside the cavity. Stuff the cavity loosely with the orange halves and rosemary sprigs.
- Roast. Place the duck breast-side up on a rack set inside a roasting pan. Roast for 1 hour, then carefully drain off excess fat from the pan (reserve it if you like—duck fat is liquid gold). Return the duck to the oven and roast an additional 35–45 minutes, until the skin is deep golden brown and crisp and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh reads 165°F.
- Rest the duck. Remove from the oven, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 15 minutes before carving.
- Make the cherry sauce. While the duck rests, melt butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and cook, stirring, for 2–3 minutes until softened. Remove the pan from the heat and carefully add the brandy. Return to heat and simmer for 1 minute, letting the alcohol cook off slightly.
- Build the sauce. Add the Bing cherries, stock, brown sugar, balsamic vinegar, cinnamon, and cloves. Stir to combine and bring to a gentle boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer uncovered for 10–12 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the cherries are soft and the sauce has thickened slightly. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Serve. Carve the duck and arrange on a serving platter. Spoon the warm brandy Bing cherry sauce over the top or serve it alongside in a small pitcher.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 610 | Protein: 38g | Fat: 41g | Carbs: 18g | Fiber: 1g | Sodium: 520mg