Grilled Duck Breast with Cherry Port Sauce

Background: Our favorite way to make duck breast is on the grill and smoked with some of our local juniper wood chips, then combine the duck with a cherry port sauce that incorporates homemade duck stock, juniper berries from our trees, local honey, and a hot pepper for some heat. This combination of flavors is just awesome and goes with many sides, my favorite being duck fat potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 duck breasts
juniper wood chips
2 tbsp of Rapeseed or Olive Oil divided
1 small shallot diced
1 Serrano or Jalapeno pepper cored and diced
¼ cup duck or chicken stock
½ cup of Port wine (red wine can be used instead)
2 tbsp Balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1 tbsp butter
¼ tsp about 5 ground Juniper berries
1 tbsp cherry preserves
1 ½ cups of pitted cherries (fresh or frozen)
salt and pepper to taste

Steps:

Heat up 1 tbsp. oil in a saucepan, add shallot and pepper and cook until they are softened, about 8 minutes.
Add stock, wine, vinegar, honey, butter, Juniper berries, cherry preserves and pitted cherries on medium heat and cook until the liquid is halved, and cherries are cooked down, about 20 minutes.
Season with salt and pepper to taste-this can also be used for pork or ham.
While the sauce is cooking, heat the grill (cast iron pan on the grate) to about 450 along with a handful of juniper (or similar) wood chips on one side of the grate.
Score the skin/fat side of the duck breasts criss cross, careful to not hit the meat, then salt and pepper both sides.
Place 1 tbsp oil in the heated pan and lay the breasts in skin side down and allow to cook until they brown and the fat renders (about 5-6 minutes), then move the pan away from the heat (turn off a burner for gas) and allow to heat through while the juniper is smoking for another 5-6 minutes or until the meat reaches 140F degrees for medium rare. Pull from the grill and allow to rest 8-10 minutes before cutting, then slice the breasts across the grain, lay on top of your preferred side, and spoon some sauce over each.