DUCK BREAST MARINATED IN BUTTERMILK & SAGE ON BROWN RICE STU

Steps:

• The Marinade.
• Wash and dry duck breasts, score fat side of breasts, diagonally into diamonds, barely through to the meat.
• Sprinkle with salt and freshly ground pepper.
• Place in a ziplock plastic bag, add buttermilk, sage and balsamic vinegar.
• Squeeze air out of bag and seal.
• Massage bag to distribute marinade around duck breasts.
• Refrigerate overnight.
• The Stuffing:.
• The stuffing can be made ahead and reheated when needed.
• I reheated it in the microwave.
• Remove duck breasts from marinade and set aside, reserving 1/4 cup marinade, discard the rest.
• Heat olive oil in large nonstick frypan.
• Add shallots, red pepper and garlic, sauté for 2 minutes.
• Add brown basmati rice and salt; stir to coat, cook for 2 minutes.
• Add wine and deglaze pan, add chicken stock and reserved marinade.
• Bring to boil, reduce heat, cover with a tight fitting lid and simmer for 45 minutes, no peeking or until rice is tender and liquid is absorbed; set aside.
• The Breasts:.
• Heat butter and olive oil in a large nonstick frypan.
• Dry excess marinade off breasts.
• Place marinated duck breasts skin/fat side down; on medium high heat, brown until skin/fat is well browned, about 20 minutes, turn and cook to rare or medium rare, about 10 minutes.
• Remove to a platter and keep warm.
• Drain fat from frypan, add the wine and deglaze the pan, slowly add the buttermilk, while stirring, add the balsamic vinegar.
• Add the sour cherries, bring to boil, on medium high heat simmer until reduced and thickened by about half, about 15 minutes.
• To Plate & Garnish:.
• Reheat stuffing if necessary.
• Place 1/2 cup stuffing in the centre of each of two plates.
• Slice duck breasts into about 4 slices and place attractively against stuffing, skin side up, on each plate.
• Drizzle the sour cherry reduction over and around the stuffing and duck breasts, including some of the cherries.
• Sprinkle half of the toasted almonds over all on each plate and garnish each plate with half the sage leaf strips.
• Serve at once.
• (To reconstitute dried cherries if using, place in 2 cups water and bring to boil, simmer until cherries plump up, drain and use as fresh).