Duck breast is a tricky thing.....
When cooked to rare and fully rested it is, in my opinion, at it's best. The difficult part is rendering that skin but not overcooking the meat and I've tried so many methods now it's crazy. It is one of my favourite things to eat so perfecting it to my taste was imperative.
I use a cold pan. Always. Score the skin and it's easier to do this when it is still cold from the fridge. Get rid of any sinew and silver skin you can see. Trim excess fat, there's plenty and use a dry pan, no more fat or oil is needed other than what will render from the skin.
Bring the duck breast to room temperature and pop some salt onto the skin and flesh. Put the pan on to medium heat and with the skin side down cook the duck. I pop a loose piece of foil over the pan to stop any splatter (because it can randomly "pop" which is messy). Every couple of minutes once you hear it sizzle tip the fat out of the pan into a dish.
After about 8-10 minutes it should be lovely and brown and nicely rendered. Turn over for just 30 seconds (I like mine rare remember, this is when it is meltingly tender if fully rested). The take it out of the pan and rest it flesh side down, skin side up in loose foil so that it does not continue to cook and the fat doesn't go soggy.
Resting will take a further 8-10 minutes. "Come and get it while it's hot" doesn't work for duck breast. You'd be faced with a pool of blood and dry yet raw duck on your plate.
I have a few favourite ways of serving this delicious bird. They all involve a duck sauce of some description. Greg Malouf has a wonderful recipe in his beautiful modern Middle Eastern book "Malouf" with cardamon and orange blossom water along with the jus. I've done this too with a hint of rose water at the end instead of the orange blossom water.
When you make your stock (I buy a while duck, render the fat and make stock from the carcass, saving the legs and breasts for cooking separately) don't be shy to add a bit of flavour. I always use Ouzo or Pernod for a hint of anise along with onion, garlic, bayleaf and white wine.
I make a nice rich stock that I can then reduce to a sticky sauce and don't need to flaff around making last minute sauces from the cooking pan. I also like to sit the stock in the fridge until the fat forms on the top and take it off. Duck fat is divine but duck fat in your sauce is not. I like my sauces to be glossy not oily.
When I reduce the stock to a sauce I use about 200mls of rich duck stock (for 2 people). Cooking it down with whatever spices go with your dish (ie Moulouf version of ground cardamon and black pepper). Always salt at the very end. You end out with so little sauce if you salt at any stage in the beginning or salt the stock when cooking it's so easy to end out with a salty sauce due to the sheer reduction.
I always finish with a touch (a few drops) of Vinagre de Jerez Caletero with is a beautifully smokey oaky dry sherry I pick up when in Spain. I also balance along with salt a touch of sugar. Maybe as little as 1/4 of a teaspoon, maybe none but I always check for acidity, sweet and of course salt. I supposed having cooked so much South East Asian food over the years I simply got into the habit ages ago of the balance of sour sweet salt and I believe this should be present in every meal. Just a touch.
When cooked to rare and fully rested it is, in my opinion, at it's best. The difficult part is rendering that skin but not overcooking the meat and I've tried so many methods now it's crazy. It is one of my favourite things to eat so perfecting it to my taste was imperative.
I use a cold pan. Always. Score the skin and it's easier to do this when it is still cold from the fridge. Get rid of any sinew and silver skin you can see. Trim excess fat, there's plenty and use a dry pan, no more fat or oil is needed other than what will render from the skin.
Bring the duck breast to room temperature and pop some salt onto the skin and flesh. Put the pan on to medium heat and with the skin side down cook the duck. I pop a loose piece of foil over the pan to stop any splatter (because it can randomly "pop" which is messy). Every couple of minutes once you hear it sizzle tip the fat out of the pan into a dish.
After about 8-10 minutes it should be lovely and brown and nicely rendered. Turn over for just 30 seconds (I like mine rare remember, this is when it is meltingly tender if fully rested). The take it out of the pan and rest it flesh side down, skin side up in loose foil so that it does not continue to cook and the fat doesn't go soggy.
Resting will take a further 8-10 minutes. "Come and get it while it's hot" doesn't work for duck breast. You'd be faced with a pool of blood and dry yet raw duck on your plate.
I have a few favourite ways of serving this delicious bird. They all involve a duck sauce of some description. Greg Malouf has a wonderful recipe in his beautiful modern Middle Eastern book "Malouf" with cardamon and orange blossom water along with the jus. I've done this too with a hint of rose water at the end instead of the orange blossom water.
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| Duck Middle Eastern style with crispy beetroot, cardamon black pepper jus finished with rose water. |
When you make your stock (I buy a while duck, render the fat and make stock from the carcass, saving the legs and breasts for cooking separately) don't be shy to add a bit of flavour. I always use Ouzo or Pernod for a hint of anise along with onion, garlic, bayleaf and white wine.
I make a nice rich stock that I can then reduce to a sticky sauce and don't need to flaff around making last minute sauces from the cooking pan. I also like to sit the stock in the fridge until the fat forms on the top and take it off. Duck fat is divine but duck fat in your sauce is not. I like my sauces to be glossy not oily.
When I reduce the stock to a sauce I use about 200mls of rich duck stock (for 2 people). Cooking it down with whatever spices go with your dish (ie Moulouf version of ground cardamon and black pepper). Always salt at the very end. You end out with so little sauce if you salt at any stage in the beginning or salt the stock when cooking it's so easy to end out with a salty sauce due to the sheer reduction.
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| Duck breast, potato dauphinoise, braised fennel, duck jus. |
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| Duck breast with star anise duck jus, braised baby leeks, peas and beetroot. |
I always finish with a touch (a few drops) of Vinagre de Jerez Caletero with is a beautifully smokey oaky dry sherry I pick up when in Spain. I also balance along with salt a touch of sugar. Maybe as little as 1/4 of a teaspoon, maybe none but I always check for acidity, sweet and of course salt. I supposed having cooked so much South East Asian food over the years I simply got into the habit ages ago of the balance of sour sweet salt and I believe this should be present in every meal. Just a touch.
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