Long-Roasted Duck Breasts

I recently bought the book “Suwała, Baron i inni. Przepisy i opowieści” and I am wildly impressed. It is a seriously substantial cookbook. Full of passion and knowledge. There is an extraordinary amount of meat in it, literally and figuratively. Absolutely worth it.

BTW, I bought it from a great online bookshop, Dobre Książki. Nobody paid me to recommend it, but it really is worth shopping there. I checked a few books and the prices are very competitive. I recommend it.

But back to the point: food. That book got me in the mood for cooking. Again. I don’t know whether that is a good thing, but it will certainly result in a few posts. Today, the first, inspired in a way by “Suwała and Baron”, but in a completely different style. Duck breast, roasted for a long time. I like breast that is briefly pan-fried, rested and still slightly red inside when sliced. My mum, however, does not approve of duck breast like that. And when my parents last came to visit, duck was exactly what I was planning to serve. So here is a version roasted for a long time with apples, pears and red wine. Below you can see pictures of two ways of serving it, because I have made this recipe twice recently and photographed it both times.

The duck is tender, and the fruity wine sauce is perfect for soaking gnocchi or kopytka potato dumplings. Delicious all round. I recommend it 🙂

Recipe details:

Preparation time: about 15 minutes

Marinating time: 20 – 24 hours

Roasting time: 3 hours

Roasting temperature: 220 degrees Celsius

Serves: four

Calories: well, ducks aren’t lightweights

Ingredients for duck breasts roasted with apples and pears:

• 4 duck breasts
• half a litre of dry red wine
• 3 sweet apples
• 2 pears
• fresh thyme (a dozen or so sprigs)
• freshly ground black pepper
• salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Recipe for roasted duck breasts:

The day before roasting, I wash the breasts thoroughly, dry them and put them in a large plastic container (with a lid). I rub them generously with freshly ground pepper and salt. I drizzle them with olive oil and arrange fresh thyme sprigs around them. I pour in the wine and cover with the sliced fruit (as in the photo below). I put the lid on and refrigerate for at least 20 hours.

The next day, I transfer the breasts to a deep glass baking dish, skin side down. I pour over the marinade (all of it) and arrange the fruit around them (also from the marinade). I put them in the oven preheated to 220 degrees Celsius for 2.3 – 3 hours.

After 40 minutes, I turn the breasts over so their skins sit above the marinade. From time to time, I move the apples and pears around to prevent them from burning. After roughly 2.5 – 3 hours, the duck breasts are ready. You can serve them with or without the skin (the fat has long since rendered into the sauce anyway), preferably with gnocchi (which I first soak in the sauce produced while roasting the breasts). The dish is ready.

Enjoy 🙂

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