Mushroom duck breasts

Preparation time 20 minutes

Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

30 mL (2 tbsp.) hoisin sauce
250 mL (1 cup) 25%-sodium-reduced beef broth
1 L (4 cups) coarsely chopped assorted mushrooms (oyster, shiitake, portobello, etc.)
15 mL (1 tbsp.) toasted sesame oil
To taste, salt and pepper
2 duck breasts
30 mL (2 tbsp.) peach or apricot jam
2 garlic cloves
20 mL (4 tsp.) finely chopped fresh gingerroot
coriander leaves

Preheat oven to 150°C (300°F).
Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the meat in a cross-hatch pattern. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
In an ovenproof skillet over medium heat, cook duck breasts, skin side down, for 4 to 5 minutes, or until skin is golden. Turn meat over and continue cooking for 1 minute.
Transfer skillet to oven and continue cooking duck for about 20 minutes, or until desired doneness. Remove duck breasts from skillet and wrap with aluminum foil; let sit for 10 minutes. Drain duck fat from skillet. Add sesame oil and heat over medium-high heat. Add mushrooms and cook for 6 minutes, or until golden. Season with salt and pepper to taste; remove from skillet and reserve.
Add beef broth, hoisin sauce, jam, garlic and ginger to the same skillet. Bring to boil; reduce heat to medium-low and simmer sauce for 2 minutes, or until slightly syrupy. Serve a half breast per person, along with mushrooms, sauce and rice vermicelli. Garnish with coriander leaves.

VARIATION: Replace peach jam by blueberry jam, sesame oil by walnut oil, garlic and ginger by grey shallot, and coriander by fresh thyme.