Duck!

Kurumba

Hi all,

I am making a duck breast for my other half tonight because he loves it and as I don't eat it or have never tasted it i have no clue how to cook it, i think it's something along the lines of frying in no oil and draining off the fat as you go.
Anyway I was looking for an easy sauce to make as well, nothing fancy with too many ingredients , anybody have any ideas?

Thanks!

_blank_

Well, the classic sauce to have with Duck is Orange Sauce.

No idea how to make it, or cook duck though.:o

The Hill Billy

To cook the duck breasts:
Fry the breasts on a medium to hot pan for 3 minutes on either side (starting skin side down).
Then put the breasts in the oven (preheated to 180C) for 30 mins.

For the sauce:
A bit of a cheat but you could serve with shop-bought plum sauce. Deglaze the pan that you fried the duck in with a few splashes of soy sauce & then pour in the sauce & heat it up but don't let it boil.

Serve with some stir-fry veg & noodles maybe?

dylbert

I've never cooked duck either but I think the idea is to cook it skin side down and turn it over when nearly cooked to finnish it off, times depend on how rare you want it.


Edit: Just seen Hll Billy's post....

Alun

I score the skin on the breast first in a criss cross pattern which helps release the fat when you're frying it first. You can rub some spices into the skin and the flesh too, and if you're going down the plum sauce route you could do worse than rub a little five spice powder into it.

Then put them in the pan skin side down, remove the battery from the smoke alarm (only kidding!) and cook until the skin is crispy. Remove most of the fat from the pan, flip the breasts over and then straight into the oven. Personally I do them for 20 mins max in my fan-assisted oven at 180 ... 30 mins would have them incinerated. YMMV.

Remove from the oven, let them rest in a warm place for a few mins whle you're making the sauce, and slice diagonally.

dudara

Alun wrote: »

I score the skin on the breast first in a criss cross pattern which helps release the fat when you're frying it first. You can rub some spices into the skin and the flesh too, and if you're going down the plum sauce route you could do worse than rub a little five spice powder into it.

Then put them in the pan skin side down, remove the battery from the smoke alarm (only kidding!) and cook until the skin is crispy. Remove most of the fat from the pan, flip the breasts over and then straight into the oven. Personally I do them for 20 mins max in my fan-assisted oven at 180 ... 30 mins would have them incinerated. YMMV.

Remove from the oven, let them rest in a warm place for a few mins whle you're making the sauce, and slice diagonally.

+1.

This is how I cook duck, personally I give it slightly less in the oven as I like it a little pink. Make sure to score the fat in order to release it during cooking.

deisemum

I normally just roast the breast in the oven, then use the duck, sliced up in a thai curry.

I keep the fat that drains from the duck and use that when roasting potatoes.

P. Breathnach

I'm with those who say score the skin first. I also season the fillets with salt and pepper. 3-4 minutes each side in the pan, then move to the oven to finish -- for me, about 15 minutes. I mix a tablespoon of honey and a teaspoon of soy sauce (sometimes adding a little ground ginger) and pour it over the skin before placing the dish in the oven.

Redcurrant sauce goes well with it (or just about any fruit sauce, as it cuts through the fattiness of the meat).

Serve with potatoes roasted in the fat saved from the last time you cooked duck. Or on a bed of mashed parsnip.

jdivision

puy lentils with balsamic vinegar ftw!

TequilaMockingBird

Phew. That was close.

Swampy

I saw a handy trick for making sauce that i have yet to try.

Any jam with any vinegar. Heat up in a pan and reduce slightly.

Experimentation is the key. Should do a nice job.

TequilaMockingBird

sueme wrote: »

Phew. That was close.

Nobody laughed...

Kurumba

sueme wrote: »

Nobody laughed...

Dont get it??

P. Breathnach

jessie1 wrote: »

Dont get it??

Don't let it worry you. It's right up there with "I'm going as quack as I can".

jdivision

sueme wrote: »

Nobody laughed...

It made me smile if that's any consolation!

dulux

Alun wrote: »

I score the skin on the breast first in a criss cross pattern which helps release the fat when you're frying it first. You can rub some spices into the skin and the flesh too, and if you're going down the plum sauce route you could do worse than rub a little five spice powder into it.

Then put them in the pan skin side down, remove the battery from the smoke alarm (only kidding!) and cook until the skin is crispy. Remove most of the fat from the pan, flip the breasts over and then straight into the oven. Personally I do them for 20 mins max in my fan-assisted oven at 180 ... 30 mins would have them incinerated. YMMV.

Remove from the oven, let them rest in a warm place for a few mins whle you're making the sauce, and slice diagonally.

Great way of doing it, If you like the skin crispy, boil the kettle and pour the hot watter onto the skin side and then score, season and put in the pan. This can be done for a whole roast duck too.
Plus if you transfer them to a hot oven dish and put the pan back on to the hob add some chopped onion and some sweet branston pickle(I think I picked it up in lidl?) and a glass of red wine. Let that simmer away while the duck in in the oven. Add a little soy sauce when it starts noticably to reduce and the taste is excellent. Sweet and savoury over your duck.

Quality

Hill Billy is spot on!!