Duck breast with sesame butter

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 30 g sesame seeds
• 60 g butter, soft
• 1 egg yolk
• ½ tsp mustard, medium hot
• ½ tsp honey
• 4 duck breasts
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 1 hour; Cooking/baking time approx. 30 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 45 minutes

Roast the sesame seeds in a pan without fat, then finely chop them in a food processor. Mix the sesame seeds well with the butter, egg yolk, mustard, and honey and add a little salt. Roll out between two layers of cling film into discs about 5 cm in diameter and chill for 1 hour. Make a few cuts in the skin-side down in the duck breasts, season with salt and pepper, and place them skin-side down in a cold, dry pan. Turn on the stovetop and fry the duck breasts skin-side down over medium heat for about 5 minutes, then turn them over and fry the flesh side down in the rendered duck fat for another 1 minute. Place the duck breasts on the oven rack preheated to 120°C and cook for 25 minutes. Place a slice of sesame butter on each duck breast, turn on the oven grill, and gratinate for 5 minutes. Since I don’t have a broiler, I increased the heat to 250°C and left the duck breast on the grill for another 10 minutes. The meat was still pink and very tender. For this preparation method, I recommend roasting the duck breasts on the grill for only 20 minutes and then gratinating them.