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.

Fattoush Salad with Crispy Pita & Creamy Lemon Dressing

A fresh and crunchy salad made with toasted pita chips, tomato, cucumber, lettuce, red onion, and feta cheese

I had dinner at Lucques in L.A. the other week and it reminded me of how great Suzanne Goin's cooking is. I have her A.O.C. cookbook at home and her recipe for fattoush salad has been on my list of recipes to make. Fattoush is a Middle Eastern salad that combines pita bread and fresh vegetables, although there are a lot of variations out there. This version reminds me a lot of my favorite Greek salads but with the addition of crunchy pita bread croutons. The whole salad gets tossed with a creamy lemon dressing and salty feta cheese for some richness and tang. It's the perfect thing to make in the summer when cherry tomatoes are ripe and sweet, cucumbers are at their peak, and you want something light and refreshing to eat.

Note: You can substitute the Persian cucumbers for one English cucumber and the little gems lettuce for chopped romaine lettuce. I also left off a handful of torn mint leaves that was included in the original recipe.


Related Recipes:
- Greek Salad with Grilled Shrimp
- Whole Wheat Garlic Pita Chips
- Green Salad with Crispy Quinoa & Pomegranate


Fattoush Salad with Crispy Pita & Creamy Lemon Dressing:
For Dressing

• Smash and peel 1 garlic clove. Add a pinch of kosher salt and use the side of your knife to mash the garlic into a paste.
• Add the garlic, a large pinch of salt, a pinch of pepper, and 2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice to a small bowl.
• Slowly whisk in 2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil, then 1/2 tbsp. heavy cream. Check for seasoning.

For Salad

• Preheat the oven to 400F.
• Tear 3 pita breads into 1" pieces and toss with 1/4 c. olive oil and a pinch of salt.
• Arrange the pita in a single layer on a baking sheet and bake, stirring once or twice, for 15 minutes, or until crisp and brown. Let cool.
• Meanwhile, halve 1 pint of cherry tomatoes, thinly slice 1 small red onion, thinly slice 3 Persian cucumbers, and chop 1/4 c. of fresh parsley.
• Wash and dry 3-4 heads of little gem lettuce and pull apart the leaves, tearing larger ones in half.
• Place all the ingredients and 2 oz. crumbled feta cheese in a large salad bowl and toss with the dressing, making sure that everything is well dressed and that the dressing is really massaged into the pita and lettuce.
• Sprinkle another 2 oz. crumbled feta cheese and 1/4 fresh parsley leaves over the top and serve.

Serves two-three (entree)

Serves four-six (side dish)

Prosciutto & Melon Kabobs

A fun take on a classic Italian dish

I recently had a great plate of prosciutto and melon at Cotogna in San Francisco. The idea is so simple: just high-quality prosciutto, an Italian cured ham, and ripe cantaloupe melon sprinkled with a bit of lime zest. It's a dish that requires no cooking and barely any time to assemble, but the sweet and salty flavors really work together. I recreated the dish at home to have with cocktails before we went out for a late dinner date and served the prosciutto-wrapped melon on wooden skewers for a fun presentation. It would make a great appetizer for a party, especially a cocktail party, because it requires no utensils and can be eaten with one hand (while the other hand holds a drink). Despite how easy it is to make, it's a true Italian classic and something that looks impressive to serve to people.


Related Recipes:
- Grilled Peach, Burrata, & Prosciutto Salad
- Poached Cherries with Goat Cheese
- Parmesan-Stuffed Bacon-Wrapped Dates


Prosciutto & Melon Kabobs:

• Cut 1/2 ripe cantaloupe melon into 2" pieces.
• Wrap half pieces of thinly-sliced prosciutto* around each piece of melon.
• Slide 3-4 pieces of prosciutto-wrapped melon onto wooden skewers.
• Sprinkle the zest of 1 lime on top.

Serves eight

*You'll need about 8-10 slices of prosciutto.