Duck Breasts with Prunes

Duck Breast with Prunes

Wanted to make something special for a friend’s birthday and duck seemed like a good choice. I love duck and it always seems like a nice choice for special occasions. The original plan was to maybe do an Asian inspired plum sauce but my friend Amy suggested something more country French. I started with a whole duck and removed the duck breasts. I put the rest of the duck in the fridge for use later. I scored the skin on the duck breast, seasoned with salt and pepper and placed them skin side down in a very hot skillet. I cooked them until the skin started to get golden. I turned them over and cooked them a few more minutes over medium heat. I placed the breasts in a roasting pan and put them in a 350 degree oven to finish cooking, about 20 minutes. While the duck was finishing I removed most of the fat from the pan and cooked sliced leeks in the skillet until tender. I then added 1 cup of duck stock. I had cooked some of the bones with a few veggies earlier. Chicken stock would have been just as good.  I also added a healthy splash of red wine- about a cup- and a cup of pitted prunes. I let the mixture cook until much of the liquid was evaporated. Added some more salt and pepper. Removed the duck breast from the oven and allowed to rest 10 minutes. Sliced breast- placed on a serving platter and topped with the prune mixture.