Seared Duck Breast with Corsican Clementines & Honey

Seared Duck Breast with Corsican Clementines & Honey

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 duck breasts
• 5 Corsican clementines (or regular mandarins)
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 3 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp powdered cinnamon
• 1 cinnamon stick
• salt/pepper

METHOD:

1. Squeeze juice from 4 clementines, mix it with vinegar.
2. Zest the 5th clementine, then peel it and set aside the slices.
3. Using a sharp knife, score the layer of fat on the top of the duck breast diagonally, making cuts spaced about 2 cm apart. Then, score in the other direction, making a hashmark pattern in the fat.
4. Place the duck breast fat side-down onto a cold iron skillet. Fry over low-medium heat to let the fat render from the duck breast for about 5 minutes, then turn the heat up to medium-high and continue cooking for another 3-4 minutes. Turn over the duck breast and cook for another 4 to 6minutes.  Remove the duck breast, drain it and wrap it in foil to keep it warm.  Keep the fat in the skillet.
5. Add celementine juice to the fat in the skillet, then add powdered cinnamon and cinnamon stick, salt, pepper, honey and mandarine slices. Simmer for about 5 minutes.
6. Slice the dark breast and serve it with the clementine sauce. Top with clementine zest.