French Fridays with Dorie – Duck Breasts with Fresh Peaches
Duck Breasts with Fresh Peaches Haiku:
I keep forgetting.
Dorie reminds me again…
I like to eat duck
Duck is not chicken,
beef, pork, lamb, or Friday fish.
Change I believe in.
Remember when I
said I disliked fruity duck?
I did not mean this!
Duck love doesn’t die
though our dates are infrequent
duck passions persist.
Duck Breasts with Fresh Peaches
Chic company fare?
Perhaps. Although I ate alone.
(Just Dorie and me .)
Hidden leftovers
Tomorrow’s lunch will excel
(husband misses out.)
with Fresh Peaches
As usual, when I size down a recipe like this to serve two I leave the sauce alone and make a 'full batch'. I'm always glad I did. Dorie suggests using any leftovers on a salad the next day. I obeyed and added a tablespoon of the remaining sauce to the dressing to good effect.
This pan fried duck method is always the same no matter the origin of the recipe. Sauce will makes the dish here. I prefer a duck sauce that is not fruit based and Dorie once again delivers with this vinegar based sauce that would work just as nicely served with a pork tenderloin or filet mignon.
Do not over cook the duck. It is easy to do if you have chicken on the brain and are not used to duck's rosy color. Since it continues to cook in the oven while it rests give yourself some leeway.
Dorie Greenspan's original recipe can be found here
This is what you will need:
- 2 small duck breasts
- 2 thyme sprigs
- 2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- 1 ripe but firm peach, peeked, halved, pitted
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 2 tablespoons tawny port
- 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces
- salt and pepper, to taste
This is how you make it:
- Preheat ove to 200 degrees and prepare a sheet of aluminum foil on a small cookie tray to hold the duck breasts when they have been cooked.
- Using a sharp knife, score the the skin of the ducks in a cross hatch pattern being careful not to cut into the duck meat itself. This makes a nice design on the breast but it is also assisting in releasing the beautiful duck fat into the pan. Salt and pepper each breast.
- Heat a dutch oven to medium high heat. Quickly put the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down, and let them sear for 7 minutes. Try not to move them. The duck fat will release and they will simmer to make a nice crispy skin. This is a good thing. Turn the breasts and cook for 2 minutes more. Remove the duck from the pan and set it on the aluminum foil. Close up the foil and put the pan in the warm oven to rest.
- Pour off some of the fat. To taste. I leave in about 2 tablespoons because, well, duck fat is just about the best thing ever. Add one thyme sprig and the garlic to the pan and stir briefly. Lower the heat slightly and put the peach halves in the pan, flat side down and let them simmer for 5-7 minutes or until nicely golden. Firmer peaches can benefit here with a few extra minutes or turning after the peach's flat side has browned. Nicely ripe peaches will not require turning. After they are brown, remove from the pan and set aside.
- Pour out all the remaining fat. (Boo! Save it in a mason jar for a veggie sauté and experience heaven.) Add honey, vinegars, port and let come to a tiny boil. Stir in butter and whisk until mixed and 'creamy'.
- Remove the duck from foil and add in any duck juices in the foil.
- Plate the duck or slice it and fan out on the plate, spoon over the sauce as desired and set a peach beside it. Garnish with the leaves from the remaining thyme sprig
This dish was an assignment for French Friday’s with Dorie, a cooking group working its way through Dorie Greenspan’s culinary tome “Around My French Table”. See how the rest of the group performed here. We generally avoid including the recipes in our posts. However, wherever there has been a significant adaptation by me or where the recipe has already been publicly posted by Ms. Greenspan or her publishers or by hundreds of other bloggers I will either include it here (only when adapted) or provide a direct link to it. Please feel free to contact me via the link provided on my page if you need any assistance finding a French Friday with Dorie Recipe. You should buy the book though.
It will change your life as it has mine.
Duck breasts? Bah, humbug.
(That’s the jealousy speaking).
Quite nice with chicken.
So, no duck for you?
Jealousy or not, it means
my plate gets all yours!
I love fatty breasts
Made of duck! What did you think?
Juicy and gamey
Peaches, however
I’ve never been a big fan
I’m the only one!
But that’s no matter
I’d eat a peach if it meant
Sharing breasts with you
More peaches for me?
Your indulgence flatters me.
I cannot deny
Your duck looks amazing (and your post renders me speechless). You clearly nailed this one!
And no villagers were harmed by its preparation… 🙂
Oh Trevor,
Your duck made me wish
That I had some myself
Another haiku triumph! This was so good that I wouldn’t share either.
I missed my haiku
Like a long lost friend of mine
It gave me comfort.
Trevor, you’ve go duck! What a truly beautiful dish. I have to say your Dorie fans know how to do it up right. Bravo!!!
Thanks Adri. To think when I set out to make this one I wasn’t even going to blog it because I was in a hurry and didn’t even have time to set up a shot. Sometimes the best shots are just kismet. Sei d’accordo?
Thank you for the birthday wishes, so very thoughtful. Your duck dish really looks beautiful, you did a
fantastic job with this recipe.
Thank you nana!
Your duck looks perfect, Trevor! I also make the full recipe of sauce when I pair down. When your only adding a tablespoon of this and a teaspoon of that…how can you cut it down and still have a good sauce? Great photos and lovely presentation!
Once I realized this ‘trick’ cooking for one life got so much easier! And I never feel like I have too much sauce. Why is that? 🙂
Picture perfect, my friend! It was even a winner at my house!
Trevor, looks like you cooked that duck perfectly (I would have made my own portion slightly more well done, but that’s just me). Too often I see duck that is almost completely uncooked, which is ridiculous. Cooking adds flavor. And the peaches, oh my, what’s not to love about peaches!
Trust me Jean, this duck was JUST on the side of being too done. If you look closer you can see that its not rare at all and seconds after the photo was taken it browned up… I will say it over and over and over again. The secret to cooking ANY kind of meat or poultry is to let the cut come down to room temperature before cooking it. You cannot cook to the perfect degree otherwise and that is just a given.
I don’t have this eating-for-one things perfected yet so I do appreciate your posting the “exact” rules for a pared down Duck Breast with Fresh Peaches. When I bought the duck breasts frozen package ($52, Trevor), the butcher told me there were 2 in it so I defrosted it. There were four. I’m not big on freezing cooked food so I am eating beaucoup de canard. Your presentation and nicely done rare duck is lovely. Thank you for sharing your creativity with us for the convention. See you in Seattle.
One breast is two halves
I used to get this messed up
An old butcher trick!
Great post as usual! I particularly love the duck perched on the fork flirting with all your readers to take a bite!
Thank you Christy! I really wanted everyone to see how much I enjoyed this. You can see I saved the peach for last as my dessert. A peach fried in duck fat? Who knew!
Peachy duck for one?
Perfect way to treat yourself
No sharing required!
Love this recipe. Love this sauce. And just have to mention that I was going through an old cookbook where duck breasts were referred to as bosoms. So please make an extra bosom for me! If I’m ever invited…
Gamey? Are Ducks so?
Sophisticated, I say.
Yours more than most.
GREG
Peaches are very good
Duck breast is even more so
Together – so good
Cooking just for one
Can be a pleasure for sure
Don’t have to share it
what a decadent meal for one! 🙂 or two.. depending on how you are counting…
I love the photo with the candle light… beautifully done and so is your duck.
Gorgeous photos! I’m in the same boat. I need Dorie to remind me that I like duck (and can make it at home).