Dried Fruit Sauce

In yesterday’s post on fruited duck breasts, I mentioned that I served them with a “fruited” sauce. After completing the duck breasts and the sauce, there was just too much information and too many photos for a single post. So here is the sauce I made for the duck breasts, using dried fruit.

This sauce would be just as good with poultry, pork, or lamb. Plus, you can really mix and match the ingredients to suit your tastes. This is your sauce, make it yours!

Dried Fruit Sauce

1/4 cup dried pomegranate seeds
1/4 cup golden raisins
Chambord
1 cup chicken broth or other
1 tablespoon veal or chicken demi-glace
Oil left in a skillet after searing meat
1 onion, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup white wine
1 tablespoon ancho chile paste
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sherry vinegar

First, place the pomegranate and raisins in a small bowl. Cover them with the Chambord and set aside.

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Pour the stock into a measuring cup and add the tablespoon of demi-glace. Heat the stock in the microwave until you can dissolve the demi-glace in it.

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If there’s a lot of oil in the skillet you’re going to use, pour some off. You will have quite a bit if you’ve just cooked duck breasts with the skin. Keep about one tablespoon in the skillet.

Heat the fat over medium heat. Add the onions and sauté them for about 4-5 minutes, then stir in the garlic.

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As soon as you can smell the garlic, add the stock with the demi-glace, plus the wine.

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Then add all of the juices that have run off from the duck or whatever meat you seared and cooked.

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Heat the liquid gently and let it reduce. If you’re unsure about reducing liquid, read my post on it here.

Meanwhile, strain the raisins and pomegranates over a bowl. Keep the Chambord, but not for this recipe. I didn’t want the sauce too sweet. You can always use it in another reduction or marinade.

When the liquid has reduced by at least half, add the ancho chile paste and salt. Stir well.

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Then stir in the fruits and keep cooking over low heat.

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When there’s barely any liquid in the skillet, pour in the vinegar. This will brighten the sauce a bit, and offset the sweetness from the fruit. Continue to cook until there’s barely any liquid in the skillet again. Then it’s ready to serve.

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Pour the sauce into a serving bowl and pass around with the duck breasts or lamb chops.

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note: If you’re limited on time, reduce all of the liquids except the vinegar first, until just 1/4 or so remains in the saucepan. Then the sauce-making time will be cut back significantly.

another note: The ingredients that you can make your own include:
1. your choice of dried fruits (try apples and apricots instead of pomegranates and raisins)
2. your choice of liqueur (try port instead of Chambord)
3. your choice of liquids (try home-made stock, red wine, port, vermouth, madera, marsala, whatever you like and have on hand)
4. your choice of seasoning (try a little thyme or even a little curry powder instead of the ancho chile paste)

By Published On: April 4th, 201425 Comments on Dried Fruit Sauce

About the Author: Chef Mimi

As a self-taught home cook, with many years in the culinary profession, I am passionate about all things food-related. Especially eating!

25 Comments

  1. Garden Walk Garden Talk April 4, 2014 at 8:04 AM - Reply

    That sounds yummy and would make the dish very fancy.

  2. apuginthekitchen April 4, 2014 at 8:20 AM - Reply

    Very nice, delicious with those beautiful duck breasts.

  3. the drunken cyclist April 4, 2014 at 8:56 AM - Reply

    Once again, I made the mistake of reading your post while very hungry….Of course you succeeded in causing me to rush out to get something to eat!

  4. Liz April 4, 2014 at 9:16 AM - Reply

    yum, that looks amazing!

  5. The Healthy Epicurean April 4, 2014 at 11:04 AM - Reply

    I think that dried fruit of any sort compliments duck so well – prunes, raisins, figs. Your fruit sauce sounds really delicious.

    • chef mimi April 6, 2014 at 8:44 AM - Reply

      Thank you! I really think dried fruits have their place!

  6. colormusing April 4, 2014 at 11:08 AM - Reply

    I was just making bobotie (a South African curried meat loaf-Saveur has a good recipe), and have some golden raisins and dried apricots left over from that; would apricots work? I’m thinking that might be delicious with pork tenderloin. Your recipe sounds amazing!

    • chef mimi April 6, 2014 at 8:43 AM - Reply

      That sounds perfect! I am so intrigued by South African cuisine. a lovely african french dutch mixture!

  7. Shanna Koenigsdorf Ward April 4, 2014 at 4:21 PM - Reply

    I love all of the great options you provide at the end. Also, so many great flavored and good technique here. The hit of acid in the final steps in so smart!

  8. eliotthecat April 4, 2014 at 5:06 PM - Reply

    This reminds me of a mostarda.

  9. lapetitepaniere April 4, 2014 at 10:29 PM - Reply

    Sounds so good and delicious :)

  10. lulu April 5, 2014 at 8:14 AM - Reply

    This sauce sounds like a perfect match for the duck, and I can imagine it being very good with pork and lamb as well.

  11. DellaCucinaPovera April 6, 2014 at 8:27 AM - Reply

    Ahh you just brought me back to the Czech Republic, where goose, duck, and pork are almost always served with some kind of lovely plum-based sauce. Yum!

  12. Charlotte April 6, 2014 at 5:00 PM - Reply

    Lovely recipe! My parents live in Charente, in the South West of France and duck is one of the specialties there. I miss a good duck “magret” of duck confit sometimes!

    • chef mimi April 8, 2014 at 5:02 AM - Reply

      Oh how lovely. in a couple of weeks i’m visiting Stephane from my french heaven in Libourne. is that close?

      • Charlotte April 10, 2014 at 2:39 PM

        Not too far, my parents live in Angouleme, about open hour and a half from Libourne

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