Spice-Rubbed Duck Breasts With Plum Sauce - cooking recipe

Ingredients

Rub
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon mace
Duck
4 boneless muscovy duck breast halves (7-8 oz. each and 1/2 inch thick)
Plum Sauce
1 cup plum jam or 1 cup plum preserves
2 tablespoons cider vinegar
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
ground cloves (a pinch)

Preparation

Make the rub: in a bowl, combine all the rub ingredients; set aside.
Use a sharp knife to trim excess fat from the duck breasts; if skin is very fatty, trim it to a thickness of 1/4 inch.
Score the skin in a diamond pattern.
Coat both sides of the breasts evenly with the rub; cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to several hours.
Make the plum sauce: in a small saucepan over medium heat, stir the plum jam until liquefied and bubbling, 3-4 minutes.
Add in the remaining sauce ingredients; cook and whisk frequently until smooth, about 2 minutes.
Let the sauce cool to room temperature before serving.
Grill the breasts, skin side down over Direct Low heat, until the internal temperature reaches 160\u00b0, 11-13 minutes, turning once halfway through the grilling time.
The juices should be slightly pink, the skin golden brown and crisp.
Remove from the grill and let rest 3-4 minutes.
Slice thinly on the bias and serve warm with the sauce.