Directions: |
Directions:In a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder, coarsely crush salt, whole peppercorns sugar and allspice. Add the orange zest and thyme and grind until the mixture should look like sand. Place the duck breasts on a platter and rub the spice mixture into them. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. About 20 minutes before cooking, remove the duck breasts from the refrigerator and return to room temperature.
Pat dry with paper towels.
In a large heavy skillet, heat the olive oil over moderately high heat until shimmering. Add the duck breast and cook until nicely browned but still springy to the touch, about 4 minutes per side. Transfer the duck to a carving board and let rest for 5 minutes.
While the breasts are resting, finish reducing the sauce. Place your sauce in a small sauce pan or frying pan and heat over medium-high heat. In no time, the sauce should start to thicken up, at which point you should remove the pan from the stovetop. Slice the breasts, if desired, and pour your beautiful sauce over top.
Port Wine Sauce:
In a heavy medium saucepan, combine the port and shallots and bring to a gentle boil over moderately low heat. Cook until the port has reduced to 3/4 cup, about 25 minutes.
Add the chicken stock and simmer until the liquid is reduced to about 1/2 cup, about 15 minutes longer. Stir in 2 tsp. hazelnut oil. Serve hot.
Serve over fanned sliced of duck and serve with port wine sauce, root vegetables and brown butter orzo. |
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