Roasted Duck Breasts with Cipollini Onions and Fennel

Roasted Duck Breasts with Cipollini Onions and Fennel

Serves 4

Ingredients

A note about gluten: When using a gluten-free broth, this recipe is gluten free.

2 fresh duck breasts
- kosher salt and freshly ground Kowalski's Black Peppercorns, to taste
10-12 cipollini onions, peeled, halved if very large
2 tbsp. Kowalski's Unsalted Butter, cold
½ bulb fennel, very thinly sliced, plus some chopped fronds, for garnish
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Directions
  1. Let duck breasts stand at room temperature for 30 min.
  2. Slice through fat in two perpendicular directions in a crosshatch pattern; season with salt and pepper to taste.
  3. Preheat oven to 400°.
  4. Heat a large oven-safe skillet over high heat; add duck skin-side down. Cook on one side until a moderately dark crust forms and breasts release easily from the pan (about 5 min.).
  5. Flip breasts; add onions to the pan, stirring gently to coat onions with rendered fat.
  6. Move pan to preheated oven; cook until duck nearly reaches desired doneness (for medium-rare, cook about 12 min. to an internal temperature of 125°; duck will increase to 130° or more as it rests).
  7. Remove pan from oven; transfer breasts to a cutting board. Tent loosely with foil; let rest for 10 min.
  8. Return onions to oven; roast for 6 min.
  9. Slice duck breasts into ½" slices; arrange on a serving platter or individual plates.
  10. Using a slotted spoon, remove onions from the pan; serve alongside duck.
  11. Top dish with fresh fennel slices; garnish with fennel fronds.

Tasty Tip:

  • Take it to the next level by making a delicious pan sauce! After removing onions from the pan the second time, set aside and keep warm. Pour as much fat as possible from the pan; strain and reserve for another use, if desired. Place pan on the stovetop over high heat. Add ½ cup dry white wine, scraping up brown bits with a wooden spoon; cook for 1 min. Add ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-high; cook until sauce is reduced by at least ⅓; strain sauce. Return sauce to the pan; heat just until it boils. Remove pan from the heat; season sauce with salt and pepper to taste. Whisk in 2 tbsp. cold Kowalski's Unsalted Butter until sauce is glossy and slightly thickened; spoon over duck before garnishing with fennel.