Name: Pan Seared Duck with Vanilla Spiced Glaze
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: North American
Ingredients: one 2-inch piece of cinnamon, broken up; 5 pieces of star anise; 2 tsp whole fennel seed (10 ml); 2 tsp Szechuan peppercorns (or black peppercorns) (10 ml); 2 tsp whole cloves (10 ml); ¼ tsp five spice powder or to taste (1 ml); ¼ tsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed (1 ml); 2 tsp honey (10 ml); ¼ cup dry sherry (60 ml); 1 tsp sherry vinegar (1 ml); 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped; Two duck breasts, preferably Muscovy (each about 1 pound or 454 grams); Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper

Yields

4 servings

Five spice powder includes the following spices: Szechuan peppercorns, cinnamon stick, star Anise, fennel and cloves. If you don’t have time to make your own 5 spice powder just use store bought. The vanilla gives an added depth and luxurious flavour to the spices.

ingredients

Five Spice Powder

one 2-inch piece of cinnamon, broken up

pieces of star anise

tsp whole fennel seed (10 ml)

tsp Szechuan peppercorns (or black peppercorns) (10 ml)

tsp whole cloves (10 ml)

Glaze

tsp five spice powder or to taste (1 ml)

tsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed (1 ml)

tsp honey (10 ml)

cup dry sherry (60 ml)

tsp sherry vinegar (1 ml)

vanilla bean, split and scraped

Duck

Two duck breasts, preferably Muscovy (each about 1 pound or 454 grams)

Coarse salt and freshly cracked pepper

Ingredient Substitution Guide

directions

Step 1

Toast the spices in a saucepan over medium heat until fragrant, about 3 to 5 minutes. Cool and grind in a spice grinder or with a mortar and pestle.

Step 2

Add five spice powder and coriander, sherry, sherry vinegar, honey and vanilla bean to a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and let reduce slightly until thick and syrupy, about 5 to 7 minutes. Set aside. There will be about 1 ½ tbsp. of glaze in the pan. If it reduces too much, loosen with 1 tbsp. sherry.

Step 3

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Step 4

Score the duck breasts with five diagonal lines. Season the duck with salt and pepper. In a cast iron frying pan, sear the duck, skin side down, just to caramelize skin side, about 1 to 2 minutes. Duck will colour very quickly.

Step 5

Transfer duck to oven and roast for 8 to 10 minutes. Brush duck breasts with some of the glaze. Continue cooking until duck is medium rare, about 3 to 4 minutes more. Cover with foil and let rest for five minutes before slicing. Slice duck breast thinly and drizzle with any remaining glaze.

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Pan Seared Duck with Vanilla Spiced Glaze