A friend gave me a large bag of Fuyu persimmons recently, which I gracefully accepted. My household immediately dove into them, but after we all had our fill, we still had a ton left. Not wanting to waste the remaining fruit, I quickly started to think of other uses. I had to find a food to pair them with that would not overpower the wonderful, mild creaminess of the persimmons, but would be rich enough to accentuate the fruit. I easily dismissed beef and felt that pork or chicken would be much too bland. And then it came to me – duck.
   

Duck is often served with a fruit-based sauce because the richness of the meat lends itself to a sweeter sauce. A lot of times this can be overdone and all you taste is the sauce. But, with the persimmons being so mild, I also risked the opposite happening, the duck overpowering the sauce. So, I boosted up the persimmon flavors with a cognac reduction, Meyer lemon zest and a little fig balsamic vinegar.    

Usually, in keeping with the traditions of my column, I would be tossing those duck breasts on the grill. I hope I am not disappointing anyone, but I went right to the stove for this recipe. Why? you may ask. The short answer is the duck fat. Ingredients cooked in duck fat transcend to the next level of flavor, and I wanted to take advantage of that. I used that fat to add another flavor to the dish by caramelizing one of my favorite ingredients, shallots. The slight sharpness of the shallots contrasted nicely with the other elements to create a well-rounded dish.
   

Not only did I create a wonderful new winter recipe, but also not one persimmon was allowed to go bad from that bag. However, it must have been a plentiful season for persimmons, because not more than one day after we finished that bag, I received two more bags from another friend. Hmmm … what’s next? Persimmonade?

Seared Duck Breast
with Persimmon-Cognac Sauce

    4    Muscovy duck breasts (about             2 pounds)
    3    Fuyu persimmons
    ½     cup Cognac
    Zest of two Meyer lemons
    1    tablespoon fig balsamic
        vinegar
    1    pinch crushed red pepper
    1    tablespoon fresh lemon thyme
    4    shallots, sliced
    Sea salt
    Pepper

   

Rinse duck breasts and pat dry with a towel. Cut shallow cross-hatches in the skin and allow to air dry in the refrigerator for at least two hours. Season the duck with the lemon thyme, salt and pepper. Heat a heavy skillet over high heat. When to temperature, add duck breasts skin side down, and reduce heat to medium low. When the fat starts to coat the pan, add the shallots. Cook until the skin is crispy and brown, approximately 10 minutes. Turn over and cook an additional 4 to 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let sit for a couple of minutes. Strain the shallots from the pan. Slice duck and top with shallots and the persimmon sauce.
   

For the sauce, peel the skin off of the persimmons and blend the fruit until liquid. In a small saucepan, reduce Cognac by half over medium heat. Add balsamic and lemon zest and heat for an additional two minutes. Add persimmons and heat until warm, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and serve.

Cheers,
Bill

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