Organic Muscovy Duck with Blackberry Cherry Sauce - full recipe

As promised, here are some picture of my completed Valentine's dinner as well as updated recipes.

Organic Muscovy Duck with Blackberry Cherry Sauce

Blackberry Cherry Sauce

1 jar cherry preserves (with whole fruit pieces)
1/2 cup blackberry jam or preserves
1/2 cup port wine (you can also use sherry or red wine or fruit juice)
1/2 cup whole pitted cherries and a bit of the juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs garlic herb butter or Earth Balance
1/4 tsp salt or to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

In a sauce pan over medium-high heat, melt the butter or Earth Balance and add the garlic. Saute until tender but not browned. Add the cherry jam, cherries, and the blackberry jam. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir until the jams become liquid, then add the wine and stir. Let the mixture simmer and reduce for about 3-4 minutes until slightly thickened. This can be made ahead a time (even a day or two) and kept in the refridgerator until needed

Note: I had some time and felt enterprising so I did make this sauce in the afternoon before I made my duck. But you can also finish searing your meat of choice drain a bit of the fat from the pan and make this sauce right in the same pan for a delicious flavor layer.
 

Also, I didn't add in the whole cherries this time because alas I tried and tried but could not open the jar and my husband was still at work so he could not help. But the sauce was still delicious anyway!

Duck breast

2 duck breast fillets (I used Maplewood farms Musvovy duck breast)
1 tsp salt or to taste
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper or to taste
1 tsp garlic powder (optional)
1/2 tbs olive oil or butter or Earth Balance
 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Season your duck fillets on both sides generously with salt, pepper, and garlic powder if using. In a saute pan over medium-high, heat heat the olive oil (or butter or Earth Balance) - you don't need much as the duck skin contains lots of fat. Place the duck breasts in the pan skin side down and sear until browned, about 3-5 minutes depending on the fillet size. Turn over and sear other side 2-3 minutes on the other side. At this point, pour in almost all of your  sauce(if you have made it ahead of time) reserving about 1/3 cup for topping later. If you have not made your sauce yet, transfer the duck fillets to another plate, drain some but not all of the fat out off the pan. Add your new butter and follow directions for making the sauce. Add the duck fillets back in the pan then place it in the oven for approximately 4-6 minutes depending on how rare you like your duck. Let the duck rest for a few minutes after removing from the oven.

I was originally going to make a side of sauteed spinach with garlic, but I found a small container of leftover mixed greens in my fridge so I added them to the spinach as well. It was a great combo! 

Look for my recipe for the greens in next blog post this week: Sauteed Mixed Greens with Spicy Chicken (or  Soy Sausage) with Creamy Polenta