Discover how to prepare an exquisite dinner. Perhaps juicy duck breasts stuffed with dried fruits?
Ingredients
Duck Breasts:
- Fresh thyme – 3 tbsp
- Duck breast fillets – 4 pcs.
- Black pepper – a pinch
- Salt – a pinch
Stuffing:
- Dried apricots – 16 pcs.
- Dried plums – 110 g
- Dried figs – 8 pcs.
Barley:
- Carrot – 2 pcs.
- Turnip – 1 pc.
- Onion – 1 pc.
- Butter – 60 g
- Honey – 1 tsp
- Olive oil – 2 tbsp
- Fresh thyme – 20 g
- Barley groats – 200 g
- Black pepper – a pinch
- Salt – a pinch
Sauce:
- Sugar – 80 g
- Cinnamon – a pinch
- Butter – 80 g
- White wine vinegar – 3 tbsp
- Orange juice – 250 ml
Preparation
Duck Breasts: Clean the duck breasts, pat them dry, remove excess fat and veins (leave the fat for frying). Score the duck skin gently along one side of each breast and place the meat in an ovenproof dish. Season the duck with pepper, salt, and chopped thyme.
Stuffing: Chop the figs, apricots, and dried plums. Mix them together.
Take one duck breast, place stuffing on it, then place another breast on top, creating a kind of sandwich. Tie the whole thing tightly with kitchen twine. Repeat the process with the remaining duck breasts. Place everything in an ovenproof dish and bake in an oven preheated to 200°C for 20-25 minutes.
Barley: Pour 2-3 tbsp of olive oil into a pot, heat it, then add slightly frozen butter (30 g). Sauté finely chopped onion and the duck fat (remaining from cleaning the duck) in it. Using tongs, remove pieces of duck skin from the pot, then add barley to the pot, mixing it with the onion. Sauté everything, add 600 ml of water, salt, and pepper. Reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for about 25-30 minutes.
Pour olive oil into a clean pot, add a piece of butter (30 g), melt it. Sauté sliced carrots in the hot fat, then add diced turnip. Season with salt. Add a teaspoon of honey to the vegetables, stir until caramelized. Add the sautéed carrots and turnips to the barley, then add salt, pepper, and fresh chopped thyme. Mix. Simmer everything over low heat, covered.
Sauce: In a saucepan, add 80 g of sugar, heat it. When the sugar melts, add 3 tbsp of white wine vinegar, orange juice, and a pinch of cinnamon. Add 80 g of butter to the sauce, melt it. Reduce the sauce. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
How to Serve: Pour the sauce into a sauceboat, place the barley with vegetables on a plate, then place the duck roast on top of the barley. Garnish with fresh thyme.
