Put a new twist on blueberries with a savoury duck dish

Blueberries are a part of our Canadian food story.

The sweet treat goes hand in hand with the boreal forest of our region and are believed to have been growing in Canada for as long as things have been growing.

Packed with anthocyanins, this is what gives blueberries their deep blue colour. They also contain vitamin C, dietary fibre and minerals.

A relative of rhododendron and azalea, blueberry bushes thrive in acidic soil and come in several varieties within the highbush, lowbush, hybrid half-high and rabbiteye categories.

Typically, when we think of blueberries in our cuisine, often the applications are sweet: think blueberry pie, crisps, or crumbles. However, the tart-sweetness of blueberries is quite a dynamic ingredient in savoury applications. Blueberry-balsamic compotes on baked brie is spectacular, but it is my belief that blueberries and game meats are sublime.

The first time I ever experienced this combination was during the early days of my culinary career. I was working at a beautiful waterfront restaurant in Ontario. My chef, from the UK, taught me so much in my time at the restaurant, and the recipe for a Saskatoon berry-blueberry sauce to be served with duck breast was one of them.

The sauce had slow-cooked shallots, reduced beef stock, brandy, the berries, and an enthusiastic punch of black pepper. The acidity of the berries and the aggressive use of black pepper cuts into the richness of the duck fat.

I am using this flavour memory as the basis of the sauce recipe, but it's equally important to cook the duck properly as well.

Duck breast has a thick, fatty skin, and is a very lean protein. It is a tightrope walk of technique to ensure the fat is rendered slowly enough while keeping the doneness of the meat itself to no more than a medium-rare.

First, be sure to pat dry the skin, and then score it in a crisscross pattern as deeply as you can without reaching the flesh.

Be fearless in your seasoning; the duck can handle a lot more salt than you likely imagine.

This dish is meant to be served immediately after the duck is sliced and sauced; none of the components are suitable for freezing or re-heating.

Pan-seared Duck Breast with Blueberry-shallot Sauce

Makes two servings

2 duck breasts

2 shallot, finely diced

3 Tbsp fresh savory

1 cup beef stock (3 1/2 cups boiled down to 1 cup)

1/2 cup blueberries

1 lemon (zest and juice)

2 tablespoons butter

Heat a tablespoon of oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Sauté the shallots until soft and golden.

Add the stock, savory and blueberries. When the skins begin to burst, add the lemon zest and juice. Let the sauce continue to boil and thicken.

Turn the heat off under the saucepan and stir in the butter until it is completely melted.

How to sear duck breast:

With a sharp knife, gently score duck breast skin in a tight crosshatch pattern. Be careful to not expose the flesh. Pat the duck breast dry with a paper towel and season the skin side only with salt. Place the duck on a plate lined with a few layers of paper towel. Uncovered on the bottom shelf of your fridge, allow the salt to draw out excess moisture for at least 8 hours.

Take the duck out of the fridge and pat dry once again and season duck breasts with salt on both the skin side and on the flesh side. Additionally, season the flesh side generously with freshly ground black pepper. Place duck breasts, skin side down, in a large, cold sauté pan. Place pan over low to medium-low heat. As the fat begins to render, you made need to pour out excess rendered fat if it appears that the duck is shallow frying. Once rendered, the skin should be golden brown, and the duck's internal temperature is 125°F (52°C), about 15 minutes. Increase heat to medium and further brown skin if needed, about one minute, before flipping and cooking on the flesh side. For medium-rare meat, cook until breast registers 130°F (54°C) on an instantread thermometer, about one to two minutes. Continue cooking until duck registers 140°F (60°C) for medium or 155°F (68°F) for welldone.

Remove duck from pan and set aside to rest for 10 minutes. Then slice thinly and top with blueberry sauce.