Duck breast with apples in port and Amarone sauce is an elegant dish with intense flavors. We offer it together with Amarone della Valpolicella Cascina San Vincenzo 2018 Famiglia Pasqua
Ingredients for Duck Breast with Apples in Port and Amarone sauce (for 4 persons):
What is needed to prepare duck breast: 2 duck breasts; Salt to taste; Pepper to taste; Rosemary, thyme and garlic (for flavoring)
for the apples in port: 2 apples (preferably Golden or Fuji); 100 ml port; 1 knob of butter; 1 teaspoon brown sugar
…and for the Amarone sauce: 200 ml Amarone della Valpolicella; 1 chopped shallot; 1 tablespoon sugar; 1 knob butter (cold); Salt to taste.
Procedure
Duck breast:
- Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife, forming a grid (without cutting the meat).
- Season with salt and pepper, then cook in a nonstick skillet, starting on the skin side, over medium-low heat for 6 to 8 minutes to melt the fat.
- Turn the breasts over and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Place in oven at 180°C (350°F) for about 5-7 minutes (medium rare) or more for longer cooking time. Let the meat rest covered with aluminum foil.
Apples in Port:
- Peel and cut the apples into wedges.
- In a frying pan, melt butter, add sugar and caramelize slightly.
- Add the apples and deglaze with port. Cook until the apples are soft and well glazed.
Amarone sauce:
- In a small saucepan, sauté shallots with a little oil.
- Add the Amarone and sugar. Reduce by half over low heat.
- Strain the sauce and whisk in a knob of cold butter to make it glossy. Adjust for salt.
Plating
- Cut the duck breast into thin slices and arrange it on one side of the plate.
- Pair the apples with port and a generous spoonful of Amarone sauce.
- Accompany with a mashed potato or potato and pumpkin puree.
Wine pairing:
(Edited by Stefania Vinciguerra)
Amarone della Valpolicella Cascina San Vincenzo 2018 Famiglia Pasqua
Dark, concentrated ruby red color. The nose is distinguished by notes of underbrush and leather. On the palate the tannins are firm and refreshing, the sip lengthens on vanilla notes. The wine has a crisp texture and lively freshness on both nose and palate.
Production area: Valpantena, on calcareous, clay soil.
Grape varieties: Corvina 60% Corvinone 30% Rondinella 10%, organically grown. Vineyards about 20 years old.
Harvest: Hand-harvested in mid-September.
Production processes: The grapes are arranged to dry inside the fruttaio for about 2 months, where the bunches lose about 25-30% of their weight resulting in a concentration of the substances present in the berry. After pressing, alcoholic fermentation is started in steel for about 25-30 days at a controlled temperature (20°-22°). Continuous punching down is carried out to facilitate the extraction of the coloring and tannic component.
After completion, the wine is transferred to French oak barrels and tonneaux where malolactic fermentation takes place, giving the wine softness. After about 18-20 months of maturation, the wine is bottled for an additional 4 months of aging.
Alcohol content: 15% vol.
Serving temperature: 18°C.
Climate trend 2018: The 2018 vintage was characterized by an initially cold spring in the first two decades of March, only to experience a surge in the third decade of April to values that were overall above seasonal averages. Summer 2018 presented a relatively cool and rainy start with highly unstable phenomena throughout the Valpolicella area. Overall, however, the season was warmer than previous years’ averages recorded in August. Finally, September presented thunderstorm phenomena with frequent and significant precipitation.
Cascina San Vincenzo
The Cascina San Vincenzo project represents a new stage in the Pasqua family winery’s journey toward sustainable growing and production processes for the two princely wines in the Valpolicella tradition: Amarone and Valpolicella.
