Estimated Nutrition

Per serving

Ingredients & Substitutes

Instructions

1. 1

   Rehydrate 15g dried porcini mushrooms in 100ml warm water for 20 minutes; once softened, finely chop the mushrooms and reserve the soaking liquid, strained through a fine-mesh sieve.

2. 2

   Score the skin of 2 duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern without cutting into the flesh, then season both sides with 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper.

3. 3

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, oven-safe pan over medium-low heat and render the fat for 10-12 minutes until the skin is golden brown and crisp, pouring off excess fat as it accumulates, then flip and sear the flesh side for 3-4 minutes until nicely browned, reaching an internal temperature of 57-60°C (130-135°F) for medium-rare.

4. 4

   Remove the duck from the pan and let it rest on a cutting board, skin-side up, while you prepare the sauce; carefully drain most of the remaining duck fat from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon.

5. 5

   Add 1 tablespoon of olive oil to the pan over medium heat, then sauté 1 small finely minced shallot for 2 minutes until softened, followed by 1 minced garlic clove and the chopped rehydrated porcini mushrooms for another 2-3 minutes, stirring constantly.

6. 6

   Deglaze the pan with 200ml dry red wine, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom, then add the reserved porcini soaking liquid, 200ml chicken stock, 1 sprig fresh rosemary, and 1 sprig fresh thyme, bringing the sauce to a simmer and reducing it by about one-third for 8-10 minutes.

7. 7

   Remove the rosemary and thyme sprigs, stir in 15g unsalted butter to emulsify and enrich the sauce, and adjust seasoning with additional salt and pepper if needed.

8. 8

   Slice the rested duck breasts crosswise and serve immediately with the warm porcini and red wine sauce spooned generously over the top.