Seared Duck with Peaches

Fruit and poultry just go together so nicely. You basically need to throw the bird and the fruit in the oven together and you have a gourmet meal. I made this recipe a while ago, after buying some duck breast on sale at the market. As is the case for many wonderful recipes I have used, I got this one from The Ultimate Cook Book. This recipe is a little more labor intensive than just throwing it into the oven would require, but it's worth it, in my humble opinion.

Preheat your oven to 350. Trim the extra skin off of four duck breasts (boneless). Make cross-hatch patterns in the skins of the ducks, which will enhance the flavor later. Now starts the pan-searing. Brown the duck breasts, skin-side down, on a skillet on medium-low heat. Apparently heating them slowly like this renders off much of the fat. Flip the duck breasts so they are skin-side up, and stick the skillet with the duck breasts in the oven to roast. Since you've already browned the duck, it shouldn't take very long - a little under 20 minutes. Use a meat thermometer to tell when they're ready. When they are ready, season with salt and pepper and set aside.

Get rid of most of the fat in the skillet and place it back on the stove. Add shallots (2, chopped up), then garlic (2 cloves, chopped), 1 c. white wine, a dash of vinegar, then bring it all to a boil. Let it reduce until you have half left (or a little less). Then mix in a tablespoon of honey. All the while, you should have had 2 peaches, peeled and sliced, on the side. Add these to the mixture now. Add your favorite herbs. I liked thyme and rosemary on this. Slice up the duck breast on a separate plate, and serve with the peach sauce on top.

If I knew I would be posting this on a blog, I probably would've arranged this dish more prettily. But take my word for it - this was good.