Here’s a secret most restaurants don’t want you to know: The $40 duck breast they’re selling you is one of the easiest* in the kitchen. During busy serving times, I would omit the roast duck breast over poached egg. With just a few simple steps, you can impress your friends and lovers with delicious duck breast any night of the week.
Ingredient
4 duck breasts, 4 to 5 ounces (112 to 140g) each
Kosher salt
1/2 cup dry white wine (4 liquid ounces; 120ml)
1 1/2 cups homemade chicken broth or store-bought broth combined with 1 tablespoon powdered gelatin (12 fluid ounces; 360ml)
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (2 ounces; 60 g)
1 teaspoon fresh orange peel
1/4 cup (60ml) freshly squeezed orange juice from 1 orange
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper (or to taste)
Instruct
Using a sharp knife, gently slit the skin of the duck breast in a tight cross, keeping the spots 1/8 inch apart. If you like a little bit of fat left on the brisket after cooking, just dab just enough on the skin; To make it fatter, cut deeper, taking care not to expose the meat.
Collage includes 4 images scoring duck breast in the shape of a cross.
Season the duck breast with salt, abundant in the skin and mild in the meat.
Place duck breast, skin side down, in a large, cold saucepan. Place pan over low to medium low heat. To keep the edges from curling up, press the duck breast down with the help of a smaller saute pan or cooking weight. After about 5 minutes, the fat will begin to foam slightly. If the fat is silent or spattered, adjust the heat accordingly. Maintaining the gentle air bubbles of the fat, pour off excess rendered fat throughout the cooking process, until most of the fat has solidified, the skin is golden brown, and the duck’s internal temperature is 125°F ( 52°C), about 15 minutes.
Collage of 4 images: charred duck breast, starting in a cold pan, weighed down with a cast iron pan, fish spoon pressing against breast in a tilted pan to show fat melting in the pan and a close-up of the dish rendering the fat layer .
Increase heat to medium and brown skin further if needed, about 1 minute, before flipping and cooking on the meat side. For medium-cooked meat, cook until the brisket registers 130°F (54°C) on an instant-read thermometer, about 1 to 2 minutes. Continue cooking until the duck reaches 140°F (60°C) for medium duck or 155°F (68°F) for well-done. Remove the duck from the pan and set aside to rest.
For the pan sauce: At high heat, deglaze the pan with white wine. Scrape off any brown flakes sticking to the pan and let the wine reduce until the pan is nearly dry and only 1 to 2 tablespoons remain, about 2 minutes. Add chicken broth and let halves, until sauce is sticky and rich, about 2 minutes. Remove the sauce from the heat and add the butter, stirring until melted and well combined. Season the sauce with orange zest and juice, salt and black pepper. Served with duck breast.
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