Roasted Duck Breast with Cranberry Sauce

Whether its a Christmas feast, a birthday celebration, or a romantic dinner for two, duck breast is always an excellent choice. It delights diners not only with its tender, flavorful, and juicy meat but also with its crispy roasted skin that melts in your mouth. A festive touch is added by the holiday spices used to season the meat before roasting and the sweet-and-sour cranberry sauce served with the roasted duck. The dish pairs well with a vegetable puree, which can be made from potatoes, parsnips, cauliflower, or sweet potatoes.

Details

  • Preparation Time: 15 minutes
  • Cooking Time: 25 minutes
  • Difficulty: 2
  • Spiciness: 0
  • Number of Servings: 4

Ingredients

  • pieces Game meat, Duck, breasts, fresh

  • 4 pieces Spices, pepper, red or cayenne

  • 1 teaspoon Spices, cinnamon, ground

  • 1 teaspoon Salt, table

  • pieces Spices, pepper, black

Sauce

  • 100 ml Alcohol, Wine, Red

  • 100 g Cranberries, fresh

  • pieces Orange, fresh

  • 0.5 piece Spices, cinnamon, ground

  • 1 piece Spices, caraway seeds

  • 300 ml Soup base, chicken, cube

  • pieces Jam

  • pieces Salt, table

  • 30 g Butter, unsalted

Steps

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Rinse the duck breasts and pat them dry with paper towels. In a grinder, crush juniper berries, allspice, salt, and peppercorns into a fine powder. Score the skin of the duck breasts several times with a knife, then generously season the meat on all sides with the prepared spice mixture. Let it rest for 10 minutes.

  2. Place the seasoned duck breasts skin-side down in a cold pan. Roast them for 5 to 6 minutes until the skin turns golden brown, then flip them and cook the other side for about 1 to 2 minutes. When flipping, baste the breasts with the fat that has accumulated in the pan.

  3. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and place them on a baking sheet, then transfer to the preheated oven. For medium-rare meat, roast the breasts for 5 to 6 minutes; for well-done, roast for 10 to 12 minutes. Remove the roasted breasts from the oven and let them rest for about 5 minutes before serving.

  4. While the meat is roasting, prepare the sauce. Pour off excess fat from the pan used to roast the duck and place it on the stove. Add wine and use a spatula to scrape the bottom of the pan, loosening all the caramelized bits that formed during roasting. Let the wine simmer for a few minutes, then add cranberries, orange zest and juice, star anise, cinnamon, stock, and cranberry jam to the pan. Mix the ingredients well and bring to a boil. Cook the sauce until about two-thirds of the liquid has reduced. Crush half of the cranberries with a spatula during cooking, leaving the rest whole. Season the sauce to taste with pepper and salt.

  5. Just before serving the sauce, stir in cubed butter and the juices that have collected from the resting duck breasts. Slice the breasts diagonally into pieces, arrange them on a plate, and drizzle with the cranberry sauce. Serve the prepared dish with your chosen side.

Nutrition Information (Per 100g)

  • Calories: 107.45 kcal
  • Fat: 3.05 g
    • Saturated Fat: 0.76 g
  • Carbohydrates: 3.24 g
    • Sugars: 1.43 g
  • Protein: 14.51 g
  • Fiber: 0.95 g

Advice

Port wine can be substituted with any sweet red wine (e.g., prosecco).