A duck on every plate

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 cup chopped onion
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 tablespoon finely chopped shallot
• 1 tablespoon tomato paste
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Scant 1/4 teaspoon crushed red-pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup coarsely chopped red bell pepper
• 1/4 cup dry red wine
• 1 1/2 to 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
• 3 cups canned Bing cherries
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh tarragon or chives
• 4 boneless duck breasts
• Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 6 large sweet potatoes
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
• 2 teaspoons coarse salt
• 1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
• 1 tablespoon light-brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons molasses
• 1/4 cup maple syrup

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Preparation

• Heat oil in a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat. Add onion, garlic, and shallot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 7 minutes.
• Add tomato paste, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, cumin, red-pepper flakes, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Reduce heat to medium and add bell pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in wine, vinegar, and sugar; let simmer for about 5 minutes. Stir in mustard, 1 1/2 cups cherries, and 1/2 teaspoon salt; let simmer for 1 minute. Remove from heat and let cool slightly.
• Place 1/4 cup of the cherry mixture in the bowl of a small food processor and process until smooth, about 1 minute. Reserve for glazing duck.
  
• Add remaining cherries to cherry mixture, along with raisins and tarragon or chives; stir to combine. Glaze and chutney can be made up to a day in advance and stored, refrigerated, in an airtight container. Bring to room temperature before using.
• Using a small sharp knife, score skin side of duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern; season with salt and pepper. In a large ovenproof heavy-bottomed skillet, heat 2 tablespoons water over low heat. Add breasts, skin-side down, and cook until fat is rendered and skin is golden brown, about 25 minutes.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees with a rack set in the center. Transfer breasts to a plate and discard all but 1 tablespoon fat from skillet. Brush duck breasts with reserved glaze and return to skillet, skin-side up. Place skillet in oven and roast until duck is medium-rare, about 15 minutes. Transfer duck to a cutting board and let stand 5 minutes.
• Using a sharp knife, slice duck breasts at a 45-degree angle. Serve immediately with chutney, roughly 6 oz. per person.
  
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place potatoes on a baking sheet and transfer to oven. Roast until easily pierced with a fork, about an hour. Let potatoes cool slightly; remove skin and discard.
• Transfer potatoes to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment; beat until smooth. Add butter, salt, orange juice, sugar, molasses, and maple syrup; beat until butter is melted and mixture is well combined. Serve immediately or store, covered and refrigerated, up to 1 day. To reheat, transfer potato mixture to an ovenproof dish, cover.

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