Pan Seared Duck Breast with Tamarind Reduction

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.