Ingredients

2 tablespoons butter
1 cup diced carrot
1 cup diced onion
1 cup diced celery
6 peeled garlic cloves
1 cup crushed peeled tomatoes
2 cups red wine or port
1 quart duck stock
2 sticks canela
1 tablespoon star anise
3 fresh bay leaves

1 bunch thyme
1/2 cup seedless tamarind paste
2 boneless duck breasts with skin on and pricked numerously with a sharp knife
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Heat a Dutch oven. Add
the butter; cook the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic for 10 minutes or until
caramelized. Add tomatoes and cook for another 2 minutes. De-glaze with red wine. Reduce
down by half and add duck stock, canela, star anise, and bay leaves. Cook for 30 minutes,
or until the sauce is reduced by 2/3. At this point, add the thyme and the tamarind paste.
Cook for 5 minutes then strain sauce through a fine mesh sieve.

Heat a saute pan large enough to hold the two duck breasts. Season the duck breast with
salt and pepper. Add it to the pan skin side down, and sear for 3 minutes. Place the pan
in a preheated 400 degree oven for 5 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the
duck is 145 degrees. Place 2 tablespoons of tamarind sauce on a plate. Slice the duck
breasts on a bias and put on the plate, on top of the tamarind sauce.