Duck breast without a sweet / fruit based sauce

[VKK3450]

Any ideas for a sauce to go with a pan roasted duck breast that does not involve a fruity sorta sauce?

Something french / continental preferred over Asian.

Thanks,

K

 

[mgm9128]

Take some of the trimmings from the breast and brown them in butter with a little oil. Let them get very dark, but not burnt. Add diced shallots and a crushed garlic clove and let them caramelize. Deglaze with some chicken (or duck) stock, and reduce by half. Keep repeating this step 3 or 4 times. The last deglazing, don't reduce. Strain. Then you can reduce it down to sauce consistency.

 

[itsstillmatt]

I don't understand how repeated reductions by half create multiple glazes.

 

[ehkay]



Take some of the trimmings from the breast and brown them in butter with a little oil. Let them get very dark, but not burnt. Add diced shallots and a crushed garlic clove and let them caramelize. Deglaze with some chicken (or duck) stock, and reduce by half. Keep repeating this step 3 or 4 times. The last deglazing, don't reduce. Strain. Then you can reduce it down to sauce consistency.

I don't understand how repeated reductions by half create multiple glazes.

Si. You need to take it down till where there's basically only fat and meat in the pan, and the solids from the stock end up frying a little bit until you add the next batch of liquid.

 

[mgm9128]



I don't understand how repeated reductions by half create multiple glazes.

You know what I meant.

 

[itsstillmatt]



Si. You need to take it down till where there's basically only fat and meat in the pan, and the solids from the stock end up frying a little bit until you add the next batch of liquid.

That is the usual technique. MM is right, though, Bras calls for reducing by half each time, which never made sense to me as far as a way to coarsen jus. I was just curious.

FWIW, I rarely do the multiple deglazings. I used to, but I feel it gives a slightly too roasty flavor. To each his own, though.

 

[ehkay]



That is the usual technique. MM is right, though, Bras calls for reducing by half each time, which never made sense to me as far as a way to coarsen jus. I was just curious.
FWIW, I rarely do the multiple deglazings. I used to, but I feel it gives a slightly too roasty flavor. To each his own, though.

I see. I forgot about the Bras way, and assumed he was describing the normal way.

 

[braised]

Try the duck "au poivre".

 

[foodguy]

i rarely serve duck with fruit sauces or an sauces, actually. I'm much more likely to serve it on a bed of something ... lentils, white beans, etc. gives me much more to arrange with my tweezers!

 

[edinatlanta]

I just want to say VKK, I hope your dish turns out awful. The price you pay for not responding to my PM!

 

[Manton]

red pepper jelly and sherry vinager is nice but it is a little sweet

 

[VKK3450]

Thanks for the replies.

I like mgm's idea, but the multiple reductions may take too long. One of my motivations in doing duck breasts was that they are relatively quicker to cook (we're going to be in the pub for a few hours beforehand) than a lot of our winter dinner party ideas,

Maybe au poive is the way to go, or I'll just do as foodguy recommended. I usually find duck flavoursome and juicy enough not to need a sauce.

Edina - My bad. I hadnt logged in for a while and missed your pm. Will respond

K

 

[VKK3450]



red pepper jelly and sherry vinager is nice but it is a little sweet

Hmmm, I do have the ingredients though...

K

 

[Manton]

You don't have to do all those individual de-glazings. If you have duck stock and/or duck trimmings, just brown the trimmings, brown some mirepoix, add the stock, then some herbs, reduce, strain and reduce some more if you want it thicker.

 

[mgm9128]

It's not really a very long process at all. You can do it as you cook and rest the breast, even.

Here are some photos I took of making a jus.
http://www.styleforum.net/t/229532/...n-place-Appreciation-thread/1770#post_5160090