Duck breast into a cold pan, skin down, heat brought up slowly. Ten minutes of doing nothing while the fat renders out and the skin turns to glass. The rub goes on the flesh side only, because espresso and cocoa in rendering fat will scorch. Cherries or blood plum in the pan at the end if the season is with you.
30 mins. Serves 2.
Ingredients
- 2 Duck breasts, skin on
- 2 tsp Plateit Café Mocha Rub
- Salt, for the skin
- 150g Cherries or blood plums, halved, stoned
- 1 tbsp Red wine vinegar
- 60ml Chicken stock
- 15g Butter, cold
Method
- Score the skin in a diamond, cutting the fat but not the meat. Salt the skin. Rub 2 tsp of Plateit Café Mocha Rub into the flesh side only.
- Skin down into a cold dry pan. Turn the heat to medium low. Leave it 10 to 12 mins, pouring off fat as it collects. Keep that fat for potatoes.
- When the skin is deep brown and rigid, flip. Two to three mins on the flesh side for pink.
- Duck onto a board to rest 8 mins. Do not skip this.
- Fruit into the hot pan with the vinegar and stock, scraping the base. Reduce 3 mins, then swirl in the cold butter off the heat.
- Slice the duck thick, sauce spooned over the top.
Swap it: Venison backstrap takes the same rub and the same fruit. Sear hot, rest longer, slice thinner.
