Pan Seared Spiced Duck Breast with Wild Blueberry Sauce and Sweet Potato Puree (serves 2)

Pan seared duck breast...one of my favorite dishes to order in a restaurant...it's always a toss up between the duck or the lamb.  The duck breast is rendered and seared in a skillet with a medley of warm aromatic spices and topped with our Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Compote on creamy sweet potato puree.  

Ingredients:

1 lb duck breast
1/4 tsp paprika 
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
Wozz! Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Compote 
1 large sweet potato (peeled and diced)
butter
salt and pepper

Method For Cooking Duck:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

In a small bowl combine your spices - black pepper, pumpkin pie spice and paprika

Pat dry your duck breast, with a sharp knife, score the fat in a 1/4 inch lattice pattern (don't cut into the flesh of the duck breast, just score the fat)

Liberally salt the duck breast (on skin side), salt a little on flesh side and then season entire breast with your spice mix.

On the stove top, in a medium oven safe skillet (I used a cast iron skillet), on medium heat (when pan is nice and hot) sear duck skin side down.  You may want to press the duck down with tongs to keep from edges curling up while searing.  Cook the duck skin side down for about 4-5 minutes, (or until fat is rendered and skin is browned).  Turn the duck breast over and cook for additional 2 minutes.

*cooking times for duck will vary depending on size of your duck breast,  we cook the duck skin side down on medium heat to render fat and sear skin, 75% of the time cooking duck breast will be on the skin side facing down, only a few additional minutes is needed on flesh side before transferring to oven.  Cooking time also depends on how you like your duck cooked - medium rare, medium, etc. 

Transfer to oven and cook for additional 4 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Method For Sweet Potato Puree:

On the stove top, bring salted water in pot to a boil.

Add peeled diced sweet potato and boil approximately 10 minutes or until tender when pierced with fork.

Drain sweet potato in colander and transfer to food processor and blend.  Add 2 Tbs butter to food processor and blend.  Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

Finish The Dish:

Slice the duck breast and serve over sweet potato puree.  Spoon Wozz! Wild Blueberry Maple Walnut Compote over top. Garnish with fresh thyme, sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Serve.