Duck Breasts with Fig Sauce and Cracked Pepper Pasta

Poppit’s Creative Cooking – Thursday Night

Poppit – For my cooking night this week, I wanted to make something completely new that I have never tried before.  Considering I had only ever tasted duck meat once before when we were out at a very nice restaurant, I thought I would give it a go!  I went to a wonderful local butcher who stocks all kinds of meats and found duck breasts.  Be warned, the price does look a little pricey, mine was $19.95, but when considering how much you can spend on other meats and seafood, I figured this was pretty good (especially when tasting the final product!).
This was such an easy meal to make but the overall flavours were just amazing.  Puppet agreed that it tasted like something we would choose at one of our favourite fancy restaurants.

Main Course

Duck Breasts with Fig Sauce and Cracked Pepper Pasta

Ingredients:
– 2 duck breast fillets
– 2 sprigs of rosemary
– 2 bay leaves
– Pasta (I used gluten-free cracked pepper pasta found at my local speciality deli)
– 20g butter
– 100g baby spinach leaves
– 1 small brown onion (chopped finely)
– 3 dried figs, quartered (I used ‘turkish figs’ found at my local deli – I believe they were dried and salted)
– 1 cup port
– 1 cup chicken stock
– 20g butter
– Asparagus (steamed either in pot or microwave)

Method:
1.  Pre-heat oven to 210°C (less for fan-forced) 
2.  Make a pocket between the duck meat and the skin, insert one sprig of rosemary and one bay leaf into each. 
3.  Score the skin side of the duck and season with salt and pepper.
4.  Heat frypan and when hot, place duck breasts skin side down on pan and cook for 3 mins (or until browning), turn over and cook for another minute or so.  Beware of the fat from the duck – it spits everywhere!
5.  Remove from pan and place in oven tray.  Cook for 10 mins in oven (or until as prefered).
6.  Meanwhile, cook pasta and sauce.
7.  Cook onion in same frypan and stir until soft.
8.  Add figs, port and stock – bring to the boil.
9.  Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes then add extra butter and stir until thickened. (Optional – I added some cornflour that I had already mixed with 1 tbs of water for extra thickness)
10.  Remove duck breasts from oven tray and rest for 5 mins.
11.  When pasta is cooking, mix with spinach leaves and butter.
12.  Serve with asparagus and with fig sauce poured over the top.