Duck Breasts with Fig Sauce

Restaurant-worthy duck breasts with crispy skin and a quick fig and wine pan sauce

I'm traveling for business all week, so my husband and I decided to have a romantic dinner to spend time together before I left. Instead of going out, we opted to cook duck breasts at home and used some ripe figs we picked up at the farmers market to make a quick pan sauce. Duck is one of my favorite things to eat for a special occasion and it's so quick and easy to prepare at home. The whole dish can be made in a single skillet and requires only about thirty minutes from start to finish, which is great for date night because you don't have to spend too much time worrying about the cooking and can focus on each other instead. The end result is a restaurant-worthy plate of crispy roasted duck breasts with a sweet and tangy sauce made from figs, wine, and balsamic vinegar. It's a real showstopper and so much better than going out to an expensive restaurant.


More Duck Recipes:
- Duck with Cherry-Port Sauce
- Whole Roasted Crispy Duck
- Fig, Duck Confit, & Mixed Greens Salad

Pan-Roasted Duck Breasts with Fig & Wine Sauce:

• Score the fat on 2 duck breasts and season with salt and pepper.
• Place a heavy skillet over medium heat and add in the duck breasts skin-side down.
• Cook the duck for 10 minutes, or until most of the fat renders and gets golden brown and crispy.
• Flip the duck and continue cooking for 3-5 minutes, or until lightly pink in the center.
• Transfer the duck to a plate and pour all but 1 tbsp. duck fat out of the pan.*
• Increase the heat to high and add in 1 pint of halved black figs, cut-side down.
• Cook for 3 minutes, then flip the figs and add in 1/2 c. red wine, 1 tsp. honey, 1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves, and a pinch of salt and pepper.
• Cook for 2-3 minutes, or until the wine has reduced by half, then stir in 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar.
• Turn off the heat and stir in 1 tbsp. cold butter until it melts.
• Slice the duck breasts and spoon the sauce on top.

Serves two generously

*Save the duck fat and use as you would butter or olive oil. It will keep in the fridge for a month and the freezer for longer.