Five-Spice Seared Duck Breast Salad with Boysenberry Glaze

“The Redemption Zin just calls out for dark fruits, and one of the best matches is boysenberry. While the flavor of boysenberry can be tricky to pair with a protein, duck breast does fantastic, with its rich, meaty flavor accentuated by the five spice powder, and what better way to enjoy it than with a light salad.”
– Harry Wetzel IV, AVV Assistant Winemaker and Family Partner

Ingredients for Salad:
¹⁄³ cup AVV olive oil
¹⁄³ cup canola oil
¹⁄³ cup red wine vinegar
1 Tbsp. boysenberry syrup
1 Tbsp. Dijon mustard
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. pepper
2 cups salad greens
¼ cup shaved almonds, toasted lightly in the oven
½ cup boysenberries

Ingredients for Duck:
1 Tbsp. AVV olive oil
2 duck breasts
1 Tbsp. five-spice powder
2 Tbsp. boysenberry syrup
1/2 cup Redemption Zinfandel
1 shallot, finely diced
Salt and pepper, to taste

*Note: If you can’t find boysenberry
syrup and boysenberries, you can
substitute with blackberry syrup and
blackberries.

Method of Preparation for Salad Dressing:
Combine the first seven ingredients in a sealable jar and shake well. Set aside.

Method of Preparation for Duck:
Bring the duck breasts to room temperature. Score the skin/fat side of the breast with a knife, cutting into the fat, but not all the way through to the meat. Season the breasts on all sides with the five-spice powder.

Heat oil in a medium pan over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Add the duck breasts, skin side down and sear for approximately 6 minutes, or until some of the fat has rendered out and the skin begins to brown. Flip the breasts and sear an additional 4-5 minutes, or until medium-rare. Transfer the breasts to a plate, cover with foil and allow them to rest.

Reduce the heat to medium. Pour out all but 1 tablespoon of the remaining oil, add the shallots and sauté until they begin to soften. Deglaze the pan with the wine and boysenberry syrup, scraping up any brown bits in the bottom of the pan. Reduce the sauce until thickened. Season with salt and pepper.

To Assemble:
Mix the salad greens with some of the dressing; you will not need to use all of the dressing. Evenly split the salad greens between 2 (or 4) plates. Slice the duck breasts (one breast per plate for 2 servings or ½ per plate for 4) and fan out over the top of the salad greens. Season with salt and pepper. Pour the reduced sauce over the sliced breasts. Garnish each plate with some of the toasted shaved almonds and boysenberries.