Pan-Roasted Duck Breast with Lingonberry Sauce on Creamy Truffled Polenta

from Bon Appétit, September 2004

adapted by Mary and Dick Lonergan

serves 8, very generously 

Lingonberry Sauce

2 cups dry red wine

1 14-ounce can low-salt chicken broth

1 14-ounce can low-salt beef broth

2 fresh thyme sprigs

1 bay leaf

2 teaspoons butter, room temperature

2 teaspoons all purpose flour

1/2 cup lingonberry preserves 

Creamy Truffled Polenta

2 cups reduced-sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup quick cooking polenta

3 tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 

1 1/2 teaspoons unsalted butter

1/4 cup milk

Kosher salt

1 teaspoon white truffle oil

6 boneless duck breast halves with skin (about 2 1/4 pounds)

For sauce: Bring wine, chicken broth, beef broth, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf to boil in heavy large saucepan. Boil until reduced to 1 cup, about 45 minutes. Mix butter and flour in small bowl to blend. Whisk butter-flour mixture into broth. Simmer until slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in lingonberry preserves; simmer 1minute. Remove thyme sprigs and bay leaf. (Sauce can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Reheat before serving.)

For polenta: Place stock in a medium saucepan overhigh heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and gradually whisk in the polenta right away. Stir constantly until mixture starts to thicken, about 4 minutes. Add Parmesan cheese and butter and stir until melted. Stir in milk. Taste and add salt, if needed. (The polenta can be done ahead to this point and reheated, with 1/4 cup
of chicken stock, stirred in to fluff it up). Just before serving, stir in truffle oil.

For duck: Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse and dry duck breasts. Cutoff any excess skin and remove the tough white tendon under the long, thin tender. Score skin of duck breasts in crisscross pattern, but do not cut into the meat. This helps render the fat and makes the skin crispy. Sprinkle duck with salt and pepper.

Heat heavy large ovenproof skillet over high heat. Add duck breasts, skin side down, to dry skillet. Reduce heat to medium and cook until skin is golden brown, about 7 minutes. (This can be done earlier in the day; reheat in hot skillet, skin-side down, for 2 minutes.) Turn duck over and transfer skillet to oven; roast to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium-rare, no more than 125 degrees on a meat thermometer. Transfer duck to cutting board, tent with foil and let stand for at least 5 minutes.

Cut duck breasts into 1/2-inch thick slices. Fan 3 slices over about 1/3 cup of polenta on each plate. Drizzle with about 2tablespoons of the sauce and serve.

Serve this with mdche (lamb's lettuce) or watercress on the plate; it looks wonderful! We tried both Maple Leaf and Muscovy duck breasts and thought the Maple Leafbreasts were more succulent.