Sauteed Duck Breast with Cajun Mustard Sauce

I saw duck in the store the other day, a very rare find, so I immediately squealed with excitement and grabbed at it, probably scaring the shoppers around me. As soon as I made my way out to the car, I immediately knew this was going to be a pan seared savory duck. I always see sweet sauces poured over duck, and while I do love and adore them, I wanted something different. So when I got home, I started googling and came up with..... absolutely nothing. Apparently, this is a unique idea. Who knew?! ha! Anyway, I was on my own, I had to be creative and wing it. Since duck can stand up to just about anything, I thought a cream sauce with mustard would be good. At the last minute I decided to add Cajun seasoning for extra flavor. It was a hit!

Sauteed Duck Breast with Cajun Mustard Sauce
Serving Size = 3 - 4

• 3 - 4 Moulard duck breasts
• 3/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 2 - 3 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 oz cream cheese
• 1 tablespoon Creole/Cajun seasoning (click here for Creole seasoning recipe)
• 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
• Salt/Pepper
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 shallot finely chopped (I used onion, but recommend a shallot)

1. Use a skillet that will fit whatever amount of duck you will be sauteeing. Place it over medium heat and let it warm up completely. Score the duck fat, without cutting into the meat (for more details, click here), then place into the pan, fat side down. Cook 15 - 20 minutes (turn the heat down a bit if it starts to brown too fast), then flip and cook for 3 more minutes. The fat side will get dark brown and crispy, and the duck should be cooked to medium-rare or medium, anything above that will be tough. The duck above is cooked to medium, maybe a TINY bit more. We don't like our duck medium-rare. Set aside and cover with a tented piece of aluminum foil.
2. Drain off the fat and keep for another day.
3. Add the butter and shallot to the pan and cook until softened.
4. Add the Cajun seasoning and cook for 1 minute or so. Add the chicken stock, heavy cream, Dijon, salt, and pepper. Cook until thickened a bit.
5. Turn the heat off, add the lemon juice and cream cheese. Whisk until the cheese dissolves (I heat the cheese in the microwave a few seconds to loosen it up a bit).
6. Serve sauce over duck.