Pan roasted duck breast recipe

Ingredients

• 1 cup pitted dried Medjool dates
• ½ cup pitted black Kalamata olives
• 2 cups (1 pint) dry red wine
• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) red wine vinegar
• Peel of 1 medium orange, removed in several pieces
• Peel of 1 medium lemon, removed in several pieces
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper

• 2 tablespoons (1 ounce) olive oil
• 8–10 medium chanterelle mushrooms, cut in 1-inch pieces
• 1 sprig of fresh tarragon Leaves
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper

• 4 (5- to 6-ounce) skin-on individual duck breasts
• Kosher salt and ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil

To Prepare the Olive Date Puree
1. Heat all the ingredients together in a saucepan and bring to a quick boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and reduce the liquid by half, 5–10 minutes.
2. Transfer to a blender and puree. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into a bowl, cover, and refrigerate until needed.
To Prepare the Chanterelles
3. Warm the oil in a small skillet over medium heat, add the mushrooms, and sauté until tender and golden brown, 5–7 minutes. Remove from the heat, add the tarragon leaves, and season with salt and pepper. Reserve at room temperature.
To Cook the Duck Breasts
4. Score the skin-side of the duck breasts in a 1-inch diamond or crosshatch pattern. Make crisscross cuts, about ½ inch apart, through the skin but not into the flesh. This promotes gradual and easy rendering of fat, and gives more surfaces for the seasonings to flavor. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
5. Warm a sauté pan over high heat until it just starts to smoke. Turn the heat down to medium, and pour in the oil, swirling it around quickly. Place the duck breasts in the pan, skin-sides down. Sauté until the skin renders some fat and becomes richly brown and crisp, at least 4 minutes. (The browning may take twice this long, depending on the thickness of the skin and the exact heat level.) If the skin is browning before a good bit of fat is rendered, reduce the heat.
6. Turn the duck breasts over and sear for about 4 minutes on the other side for rare to medium-rare doneness, an internal temperature of 130°F–135°F. Let the duck breasts rest on a cutting board for 2–3 minutes.
Putting it All Together
7. Reheat the olive-date puree. Spoon about ¼ cup of the warm puree into the center of the first plate. I spoon it into a long line but do what you wish. Cut the duck breasts in half the long way and place the 2 halves on top of the puree, overlapping a bit so you see their ruby centers. Spoon ¼ of the chanterelles around the duck. Repeat with the remaining ingredients on the other 3 plates. Garnish all the plates with greens and herb leaves. Serve any additional olive-date puree in small bowls on the side if you wish.