Recipe: Pan-Seared Teal Breast with Apricot Demi Jus

Pan-Seared Teal Breast

You worked hard to bring down those teal—now serve them up well with this classy dinner.

Cook time: 20 minutes. Serves: 2 as entree, 4 as appetizer.

Ingredients:

6 teal breast fillets, skinned or 2 large duck fillets (e.g., mallard) cut into 6 pieces
1 heaping tsp. steak seasoning (such as Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Blackened Steak Magic)
3 Tbsp. whole butter (divided)
4 oz. dry red wine
6 oz. chicken stock
1 heaping Tbsp. apricot preserves

Lightly season all fillets with steak seasoning. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in an 8-inch saute pan. After foaming of butter subsides, add duck, skin-side down, to the pan. Cook 2-3 minutes until breasts are seared and well-browned; turn and cook other side.

Remove breasts from pan, place on a warm plate, and cover with foil. Let rest for 10 minutes.

Deglaze saute pan with red wine and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half. Add chicken stock and reduce by half again over high heat. Stir in apricot preserves until melted. Add any remaining juices from the resting plate and 1 tablespoon butter to the pan and swirl. Turn off heat.

Slice duck and fan out on warmed plates. Pour sauce over the slices and serve at once.