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dining out
Warm Up with Sweet and
Savory Comfort Food
If chocolate for dinner sounds too good
to be true, it’s because chocolate is usually
associated with decadent desserts.
However, it can also take comfort food
to a whole new level when paired with
savory ingredients like red meat.
A bit of bittersweet cocoa powder helps
balance out the richness of red meats like
duck. Although it’s leaner and lower in
saturated fat than other red meats, duck
has a bold fl avor and texture similar to
steak.
In this Mocha-Rubbed Duck Breast
recipe, cocoa powder, ground coff ee and
savory spices are rubbed onto the meat
before it’s seared and smothered with a
luscious sweet cherry and red wine sauce.
Th e toasty, nutty fl avor of coff ee complements
the cocoa while dark sweet cherries,
red wine and toasted almonds complete
the sweet and savory dish.
Find more comfort food recipes and
tips for cooking with duck at mapleleaffarms.
com.
Mocha-Rubbed Duck
Breast with Cherry and
Red Wine Pan Sauce
Prep time: 2 hours, 10 minutes
Cook time: 35 minutes
Servings: 4
Mocha Rub:
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon ground coff ee
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon cocoa powder
4 Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breasts,
thawed
Cherry and Red Wine Pan Sauce:
• 2 tablespoons reserved duck fat
• 1/2 cup minced shallots
• 3/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons granulated sugar
• 5 ounces frozen dark sweet cherries,
thawed and halved
• 5 sprigs fresh thyme
• salt, to taste
• ground black pepper, to taste
• toasted sliced almonds, for garnish
To make Mocha Rub: In small bowl,
mix brown sugar, paprika, coff ee, salt,
pepper and cocoa powder. Set aside.
Pat duck breasts dry and score according
to package directions. Use half of rub
on meat side of breasts. Cover breasts
and refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight.
In cold saute pan, place duck breasts
skin-side down. Place pan over low-medium
heat 8-12 minutes, or until fat is rendered
and skin is crisp and brown.
Turn breasts over and sprinkle remaining
rub on skin side. Cook breasts 1-2
minutes skin-side up. Turn breasts back
to skin-side down 1-2 minutes to caramelize
rub. Reserve approximately 2
tablespoons duck fat for sauce.
Heat oven to 350 F.
Place duck breasts skin-side up on
rimmed baking sheet; bake 5-6 minutes,
or until internal temperature reaches 155
F. Let breasts rest 4-5 minutes before slicing.
Temperature will rise during resting
period to reach 165 F.
To make Cherry and Red Wine Pan
Sauce: Place saute pan with reserved duck
fat over medium heat. Add shallots and
cook until soft ened. Add wine to pan to
deglaze. Stir in balsamic vinegar, sugar,
cherries and thyme sprigs; simmer until
reduced. Remove thyme sprigs. Add salt
and pepper, to taste.
Serve sauce over cooked duck breasts.
Garnish with toasted almond slices.
Courtesy Family Features
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