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What Is Pan Searing?
Pan searing is a cooking technique that involves quickly cooking food, usually meat, in a hot pan with a small amount of oil or fat. The goal of pan searing is to create a flavorful, browned crust on the exterior of the food while maintaining a juicy and tender interior. This method is commonly used for steaks, chicken breasts, pork chops, and other cuts of meat.
What is the Pan Searing Technique?
Here's a general outline of the pan-searing process:
Preheat the Pan: Start by heating a skillet or frying pan over medium-high to high heat. It's essential to get the pan hot before adding the food.
Season the Food: Season the food (such as meat) with salt, pepper, and any other desired spices or herbs. This adds flavor to the exterior of the food during the searing process.
Add Oil or Fat: Add a small amount of oil or fat to the hot pan. Olive oil, vegetable oil, or butter are commonly used. The oil helps to prevent sticking and promotes even browning.
Place the Food in the Pan: Carefully place the seasoned food in the hot pan. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan, as this can lower the temperature and hinder the searing process.
Sear on One Side: Allow the food to sear without moving it too much. This helps develop a nice crust. The exact cooking time will depend on the thickness and type of food you're cooking.
Flip and Sear the Other Side: Once one side is nicely browned, flip the food and sear the other side. Use tongs to turn the food gently.
Finish Cooking if Needed: Depending on the thickness of the food and desired doneness, you may need to finish cooking in the oven or continue cooking on the stovetop.
Rest the Food: After cooking, allow the food to rest for a few minutes before serving. This helps redistribute juices and ensures a juicier result.
Pan searing is a versatile technique that can be used as a standalone cooking method or as a preliminary step before further cooking, such as finishing in the oven or simmering in a sauce.
Ingredients
Duck Breasts refer to the meat from the breast portion of a duck. Duck is a type of poultry, and its breast meat is known for its rich flavor and tender texture. Duck breasts are a popular choice in culinary preparations due to their versatility and the distinct taste they bring to dishes.
Butter is a dairy product made from the fat and protein components of milk or cream. It is produced by churning or agitating the cream, causing the fat globules to separate from the liquid, known as buttermilk. The remaining solid fat is then further processed and may be salted or left unsalted, depending on the desired end product.
Olive oil is a type of edible oil that is extracted from olives, the fruit of the olive tree (Olea europaea). It is a staple in Mediterranean cuisine and is widely used around the world for its rich flavor and various health benefits. Olive oil has been a key component of human diets for thousands of years.There are several types of olive oil, and their characteristics depend on factors such as the quality of olives used, the region of production, and the extraction process.
Shallots are a type of onion that belongs to the Allium family, which also includes garlic, onions, and leeks. They have a milder and sweeter flavor compared to regular onions, making them a popular choice in various culinary dishes. Shallots are characterized by their small size, elongated shape, and thin, coppery-brown papery skin.
Mushrooms are fungi that belong to the kingdom Fungi. They are a diverse group of organisms with various shapes, sizes, colors, and textures. While some mushrooms are edible and consumed as food, others are toxic and can cause illness or even be deadly. It is crucial to exercise caution and proper identification when foraging for wild mushrooms.
Demi-glace is a rich and highly concentrated brown sauce in classical French cuisine. It is made by reducing and thickening a combination of brown stock and brown sauce, resulting in a velvety and flavorful sauce. Demi-glace is often used as a base for many other sauces and is prized for its depth of flavor and versatility.
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Pan Seared Duck Breast
Simple and Delicious
Prep Time15 minutes mins
Cook Time25 minutes mins
Total Time40 minutes mins
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 8 duck breasts
- 6 tablespoon butter unsalted
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ¼ cup shallots chopped
- 6 oz mushrooms wild
- ½ cup red wine
- 1 cup demi glace
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Chop the shallot and slice the wild mushrooms.
Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper.
Heat sauté pan (cast iron skillet if you have one) until really hot.
Melt 2 tablespoons of the butter with the oil and sear breasts quickly on both sides. Then cook an additional 2-3 minutes per side. Remove from your pan and keep warm.
Add the remaining butter and briefly saute the shallots.
Add mushrooms and sauté until translucent (approx. 4-5 minutes).
Add a bit of your red wine to deglaze the pan.
Add demi glace. Simmer for approximately 6 - 7 minutes until sauce has thickened enough to coat a spoon.
Serve over duck and if you're like me, save some for the potatoes.
My Top Choices for Demi Glace
Online Sources: Demi Glace
For those of you who do not want to make demi glace at home.
Demi glace is the most important ingredient for making classic "restaurant quality" brown sauces. All the great French brown sauces use demi glace. But it can also be used in soups, stews and braises. It's something you can make at home but it takes a long, long time to do it right and if you make one mistake, it can easily be ruined.Lucky for us, there are now some great sources for commercial grade demi glace and I want to share a few with you now. Everyone has their preferences so I suggest you give each a try to find out which product you like best.
Ready in minutes, Savory Choice beef demi glace allows home chefs to deliver impressive restaurant-quality meals quickly and cost-effectively. Professional chefs typically take at least 24 hours to prepare this traditional reduction sauce by simmering stock, vegetables, wine and spices to a velvety consistency.
Rich, natural, gluten free and Trans fat free Savory Choice demi glace opens up a world of new possibilities for exquisite home-cooked meals. Use on steaks, lamb and pork dishes, or a base for stews, soups and gravies. For braising pot roasts and short ribs, add contents of pouch to ½ gallon of water and simmer in crock pot until meat is fork tender. Convenience has never tasted so luxurious.
More Than Gourmet's Demi Glace Gold
One of my first commercial demi glace products and still one of my favorites. For almost 25 years, More Than Gourmet has been the gold standard for flavor and quality when it comes to sauces, stock, and soup. This product comes in 1 pound tubs and 1.5 ounce pucks and even bigger sizes if you are a commercial establishment. I like buying 6 of the pucks at a time unless I'm doing a big party and need the pounder.
