Duck Breast with Pluot Sauce over Arugula

Serves 4

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uck is very easy to cook and extremely flavorful. If you remove the skin, like I do, then the duck breast ends up being even leaner than a skinless chicken breast, and it’s a nice change of pace from chicken. Defrost the duck breasts in the refrigerator overnight or soak breasts still in the plastic bags in cold water, changing the water every 30 minutes until defrosted, about one hour. Use black pluots, plumcots or plums and substitute red if there are no black options. You will have some sauce left over that you can use with salmon, chicken or beef.

Ingredients:

• 1 tablespoon Napa Valley organic olive oil
• 1/2 large red onion, quartered, thinly sliced
• 2 medium Melissa’s organic shallots, chopped
• 1 large clove Melissa’s organic garlic, minced
• 4 black pluots, pits removed, diced, divided
• 1 cup Monari Federzoni balsamic vinegar
• 1 teaspoon Wholesome Sweeteners organic raw blue agave nectar
• -Cooking spray
• 4 7.5-ounce packages Maple Leaf Farms frozen boneless duck breast filets, defrosted, skin removed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper, divided
• 10 ounces organic arugula

Instructions:


1. Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with cooking spray.

2. Heat olive oil over medium heat in a small, heavy saucepan. Add onion and shallots and sauté until soft, about three minutes. Add garlic and cook 30 seconds. Add 3/4 of the diced pluots and all of the balsamic vinegar. Turn heat up to medium-high and bring sauce to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce sauce by half, about 10-12 minutes. It should have a syrupy-thick consistency. Stir in one teaspoon agave. Simmer while duck is cooking.

3. Preheat broiler. Spray broiler pan with cooking spray. Wash duck breasts and pat dry with paper towels. Season one side of the breasts with the salt. Season the same side with half of the pepper. Turn breasts over and season with remaining pepper. Broil for about five minutes on each side. Use a meat thermometer to make sure the internal temperature is at least 155° Fahrenheit for medium and 160° Fahrenheit for well. Remove from oven and let rest on a clean cutting board for five minutes. Cut each breast into thin slices.

4. Arrange arugula on a serving platter and sprinkle with remaining plum pieces. Transfer duck to a serving platter and spoon one cup warm sauce over the duck and the salad.

Each breast with 1/4 cup sauce and 2 ounces arugula contains: Calories Fat Saturated Fat Trans Fat Cholesterol Sodium Total Carbohydrate Dietary Fiber Sugars Protein Vitamin A Vitamin C Calcium Iron 250       6 g     1 g     0 g     150 mg  270 g     20 g     2 g     15 g     32 g     36% DV 36% DV 11% DV 33% DV