Pepper-Crusted Duck Breasts with Cherry-Port Sauce

In this elegant and easy dish, a quick sauce of red wine, port, and cherries tops seared duck breasts. Serve with haricots verts blanched and sautéed in brown butter, then tossed with hazelnuts.

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  1-1/2 cups fruity red wine, such as Zinfandel, Shiraz, or Merlot
  
  


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  1 cup ruby port
  
  


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  One 1-1/4 -inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
  
  


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  1 to 2 Tbs. granulated sugar
  
  


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  1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar
  
  


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  1 tsp. cornstarch
  
  


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  2 cups fresh sweet or sour cherries, pitted and halved (about 11 oz.)
  
  


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  Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
  
  


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  2 Tbs. coarsely cracked black peppercorns
  
  


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  6 small or 3 large skin-on duck breasts (about 3 lb. total)
  
  

Put the wine, port, ginger, and sugar (1 Tbs. for sweet cherries; 2 Tbs. for sour) in a medium saucepan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat as needed, and simmer until reduced by half, 8 to 12 minutes.

In a small bowl, mix the balsamic vinegar and cornstarch. Whisking constantly, add the cornstarch mixture to the wine mixture and simmer until slightly thickened, about 1 minute more. Discard the ginger. Reduce the heat to low, add the cherries, and simmer slowly until the cherries are warm, 1 to 2 additional minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.

Put the duck breasts on a work surface skin side up. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in a grid pattern, cutting just halfway through the thickness of the skin. Season the duck generously with salt. Scatter the cracked pepper on a small baking sheet and press the duck into the pepper, coating both sides evenly.

Heat a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Arrange the duck skin side down and cook until the skin is deep golden-brown and the fat from the skin has rendered, 6 to 8 minutes. Carefully spoon off and discard all but about 1 Tbs. of the fat. Turn the duck and continue to cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a breast reads 135°F for medium rare, 4 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a cutting board, cover loosely with foil, and let rest for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, warm the sauce over very low heat. Cut each duck breast on the diagonal into 1/2-inch-thick slices and serve with the sauce.

Grape Schiacciata

This is one of those seasonal recipes that I can’t wait to make each fall, when tiny champagne grapes (also known as Black Corinth grapes) are briefly available at my local farm stand. After a casual meal, I serve squares of this traditional Tuscan flatbread with a selection of Italian cheeses, including an aged pecorino and a soft taleggio (or some of the soft goat cheese I get from my friend Lisa’s farm), and small glasses of sweet Vin Santo instead of dessert. If champagne grapes are not available, don’t be tempted to use regular table grapes. They have a nice crunch when you eat them out of hand, but they have more water than flavor inside. Instead, try my variations, which also pay homage to Tuscany and also pair well with cheese and Italian dessert wine. 

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  15.67 oz. (3-1⁄2 cups) unbleached all-purpose flour
  
  


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  2-1⁄4 tsp. instant yeast
  
  


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  1⁄2 tsp. fine sea salt or kosher salt
  
  


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  1 Tbs. honey
  
  


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  2-1⁄2 Tbs. olive oil
  
  


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  1 Tbs. red wine
  
  


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  1 large egg
  
  


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  1 cup water
  
  


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  1 tsp. grated orange zest
  
  


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  3 cups champagne or Concord grapes
  
  

Combine the flour, yeast, salt, honey, oil, wine, egg, water, and orange zest in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Give the mixture a few turns with a rubber spatula until a rough dough forms. Knead on medium-high speed until smooth and silky, 6 to 8 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled bowl or dough-rising container, cover the bowl with plastic wrap, and let stand at room temperature for up to 1-1⁄2 hours.

Oil the bottom and sides of a rimmed baking sheet. Turn the dough onto a lightly floured countertop and divide into 2 equal pieces. With a floured rolling pin, roll 1 of the pieces into a rectangle measuring about 15 by 12 inches. Place the rectangle on the prepared baking sheet and press the dough so that it covers the bottom and comes up the sides of the sheet.

Sprinkle three-quarters of the grapes evenly over the dough. Roll out the remaining piece of dough and place it on top of the grapes, stretching it to cover. Sprinkle the remaining grapes evenly over the dough. Allow the schiacciata to sit, uncovered, for 20 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 400°F. Bake the schiacciata in the middle of the oven until well-browned, 45 to 50 minutes. Let cool on the baking sheet for 10 minutes, and then lift it with a large spatula onto a wire rack to cool completely before cutting into squares. Grape Schiacciata will keep at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 2 days.

Molten Spiced Chocolate Cabernet Cakes

Individual warm chocolate cakes with molten centers are all the rage. This version includes a touch of spice and red wine.

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  4 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate
  
  


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  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
  
  


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  1 Tbs. Cabernet Sauvignon or other red wine
  
  


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  1 tsp. McCormick® Pure Vanilla Extract
  
  


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  1 cup confectioners' sugar
  
  


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  2 eggs
  
  


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  1 egg yolk
  
  


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  6 Tbs. flour
  
  


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  1/4 tsp. McCormick® Gourmet Collection Cinnamon, Saigon or 1/4 tsp. McCormick® Gourmet Collection Roasted Saigon Cinnamon
  
  


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  1/4 tsp. McCormick® Gourmet Collection Ginger, Ground
  
  


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  1/8 tsp. McCormick® Gourmet Collection Cloves, Ground (optional)
  
  

Tip:

Molten cakes prepared with Saigon Cinnamon will have a warm, flavorful cinnamon taste. Use Roasted Saigon Cinnamon for a robust, sweet-spicy cinnamon flavor.

Preheat oven to 425°F. Butter 4 (6-oz.) custard cups or soufflé dishes. Place on baking sheet.

Microwave chocolate and butter in large microwavable bowl on high 1 minute or until butter is melted. Stir with wire whisk until chocolate is completely melted. Stir in wine, vanilla and confectioners' sugar until well blended. Stir in eggs and yolk. Stir in flour, cinnamon, ginger and cloves. Pour batter evenly into prepared custard cups.

Bake 13 to 15 minutes or until sides are firm but centers are soft. Let stand 1 minute. Carefully loosen edges with small knife. Invert cakes onto serving plates. Sprinkle with additional confectioners' sugar. Serve immediately.