Duck Breast Belenense (Pato Belenense) (4 portions)

• 4 Duck breasts
• 3/4 cup of white wine
• 1 tbsp of minced ginger
• 1 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1/4 cup of butter
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 200g of Bacuri pulp
• 3/4 cup of water
• 1 tbsp chopped cilantro
• Salt and pepper to taste

Method
Score and season the Duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat pan with olive oil and sear the breasts fat side down first and other side. Place breasts in 350F oven for 10 minutes and cook to medium rare. In another pan, melt butter and saute the garlic and ginger. Add the sugar, Bacuri pulp, and cilantro. Deglaze with white wine and water and reduce the sauce. Pour the sauce over the Duck and serve with rice. You can also large dice the Duck and serve it that way, its your choice.

In case you are wondering, Bacuri is native to South America in the humid forests of Brazil, Paraguay, parts of Colombia and northeast to Guyana; specially in the Amazon. The fruit is round to oval, 7-14 cm long, with a thick, yellow skin, looking similar to a papaya. The sticky white pulp, which is wrapped around the three to five seeds somewhat like a pomegranate, is fragant, with a taste that is both sweet and sour.