Duck With Honey Peppercorn Sauce Recipes

WHOLE DUCK WITH GREEN PEPPERCORN GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat an oven to 500 degrees F and arrange the oven rack in the center of the oven.
• Remove the innards of the duck and reserve them for another use, or discard. Remove any loose pockets of fat surrounding the cavity. Season the inside of the duck with salt.
• In a pot large enough to hold the duck, combine the water, 3/4 cup of the soy sauce and 1/3 cup of honey. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat. Add in the brine from the green peppercorns, lower the heat and submerge the duck, breast side down, into the pot. Let it simmer 30 seconds, basting the top side with the liquid. Remove the duck and arrange it, breast side down, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack that elevates it off the bottom of the pan. The rack will allow hot air to circulate around it as it cooks. (Cook's note: Ideally, the duck should sit overnight to allow the flavors to meld with the meat and for the skin to dry out. This will mean a crispier skin, once the duck is cooked.)
• Put the roasting pan into the oven and turn the temperature down to 400 degrees F. Allow about 15 minutes roasting time for each pound of duck. Cook for 20 to 25 minutes, remove the pan from the oven, then flip the duck. Using a turkey baster, remove the excess fat from the bottom of the roasting pan and transfer it to a heatproof liquid measuring cup. Return the duck to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes to1 hour, depending upon the size of your duck.
• Meanwhile, in a medium pot, combine the champagne vinegar with the remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, Marsala and the reserved green peppercorns. Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer gently, allowing the glaze to reduce and the flavors to blend. Taste for seasoning. Allow it to cook until all the flavors meld together.
• Remove the duck from the oven and baste it with the drippings in the bottom of the pan. The duck should register about 150 F when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thigh meat. Transfer it to a platter and pour half of the glaze over the breast and thigh meat. Reserve the remaining glaze for plating. Allow the bird to "rest" for about 15 minutes. Carve the duck and arrange on a serving platter. Season the flesh, with salt, if desired, and top with remaining glaze.

DUCK WITH HONEY, SOY, AND GINGER

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
• Use a sharp knife to score across the duck breasts 4 times through the skin and fat but just barely to the meat. Rub the skin with salt, cayenne, and black pepper.
• Preheat an ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the breasts in the skillet skin-side down and fry until the skin is brown and crisp, about 5 minutes. Use a spoon to carefully discard any excess fat from the bottom of the skillet. Turn the breasts over and cook for 1 minute.
• Place the skillet into the preheated oven and roast until the internal temperature of the thickest part of the breasts reach 160 degrees F (71 degrees C) for well done, or the breasts reach desired doneness.
• Remove the duck breasts from the skillet and cover with foil. Set aside to rest. Pour off excess fat from the skillet. Place the stock, honey, soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, tomato sauce, chili powder, and lime juice in the skillet. Whisk the sauce over high heat, bring to a boil and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes. Slice the duck breasts thinly, arrange on serving plates, and pour the sauce over the top.

PEPPERED DUCK BREAST WITH RED WINE SAUCE

Steps:

• Remove the tenderloins (the thin strips of meat on undersides of the duck breast) and reserve for the sauce. With a sharp knife, trim away any gristle from the undersides of the breasts and trim any excess fat. Score the skin in a diamond pattern, cutting through the fat but not quite reaching the meat. Lightly sprinkle salt on both sides, then rub 1 teaspoon crushed black peppercorns all over. Sprinkle with the garlic and a few thyme sprigs, cover, and leave at room temperature for 1 hour. (For deeper flavor, refrigerate the breasts for several hours or overnight, then return to room temperature before cooking.)
• Heat 1 tablespoon unsalted butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the shallot and the reserved duck tenderloins; let them brown well, stirring occasionally, 5 to 8 minutes. Stir in the tomato paste and a small thyme sprig and let them fry for 1 minute.
• Add the broth and 1/4 cup wine, raise the heat to a brisk simmer and let the liquid reduce to about 1 1/4 cups, about 10 minutes. Strain the sauce and return to the heat. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons red wine and the Cognac or brandy and cook for 1 minute more. Dissolve potato starch in 2 tablespoons cold water, then stir the mixture into the sauce. Whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Season to taste with salt. (Sauce may be made in advance and reheated, thinned with a little broth.)
• Remove and discard the garlic and thyme sprigs from the breasts. Heat a large, heavy skillet over medium-high. When the pan is hot, lay in the duck breasts, skin-side down, and let them sizzle. Lower the heat to medium and cook for a total of 7 minutes, checking to make sure the skin isn't browning too quickly. With tongs, turn the breasts over and let them cook another 3 minutes for rare, 4 to 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to a warm platter and let rest for 10 minutes. Slice crosswise, not too thickly, at a slight angle and serve with the sauce.

DUCK WITH HONEY-PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat heavy large skillet over high heat. Cook duck, skin side down, until skin is dark brown and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Turn duck over and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer to platter. Tent with foil to keep warm.
• Pour off drippings from skillet. Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion and gherkins and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes. Add stock and honey and boil until syrupy, about 5 minutes. Stir in all peppercorns and simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and whisk until sauce is smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Slice duck crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices. Fan duck slices on plates. Spoon peppercorn sauce over and serve.

DUCK WITH HONEY-PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Steps:

• Heat heavy large skillet over high heat.
• Cook duck, skin side down, until skin is dark brown and fat is rendered, about 5 minutes.
• Turn duck over and cook to desired doneness, about 6 minutes for medium-rare.
• Transfer to platter.
• Tent with foil to keep warm.
• Pour off drippings from skillet.
• Melt 1 tablespoon butter in same skillet over medium-high heat.
• Add onion and gherkins and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
• Add stock and honey and boil until syrupy, about 5 minutes.
• Stir in all peppercorns and simmer 1 minute.
• Remove from heat.
• Add remaining 1 tablespoon butter and whisk until sauce is smooth.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Slice duck crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick slices.
• Fan duck slices on plates.
• Spoon peppercorn sauce over and serve.

WHOLE DUCK WITH GREEN PEPPERCORN GLAZE

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 500˚ and arrange the oven rack in the center. Remove the innards of the duck and reserve them for another use or discard. Remove any loose pockets of fat surrounding the cavity. Season the inside of the duck with salt.
• In a pot large enough to hold the duck, combine 6 cups water, 3/4 cup of the soy sauce and 1/3 cup of honey. Bring the mixture to a simmer over low heat. Add in the brine from the green peppercorns, lower the heat and submerge the duck, breast-side down, in the pot. Let it simmer 30 seconds, basting the top with the liquid. Remove the duck and arrange it, breast-side down, in a roasting pan fitted with a rack that elevates it off the bottom of the pan. The rack will allow hot air to circulate around the duck as it cooks. Tie the legs together with kitchen twine.
• Put the roasting pan in the oven and turn the temperature down to 400˚. Cook for 30 to 35 minutes, until the duck is well browned. Remove the pan from the oven, then flip the duck. Using a turkey baster, remove the excess fat from the bottom of the roasting pan and transfer it to a heatproof liquid measuring cup.
• Return the duck to the oven and cook for another 45 minutes to 1 hour, depending on the size of your duck, or until well browned all over.
• When the duck is almost done, in a medium pot, combine the vinegar with the remaining 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, the Marsala and the green peppercorns. Bring the ingredients to a boil over high heat. Lower the heat and simmer gently, allowing the glaze to reduce to a thin syrup and the flavors to blend, 10 to 15 minutes.
• Remove the duck from the oven and baste it with the drippings in the bottom of the pan. The duck should register about 150˚ when an instant-read thermometer is inserted into the thigh meat. Transfer the duck to a platter and pour half of the glaze over the breast and thigh meat. Reserve the remaining glaze for plating. Allow the bird to rest for about 15 minutes. Carve the duck and arrange on a serving platter. Season the flesh with salt, if desired, and top with the remaining glaze. Reserve any fat that accumulated at the bottom of the pan and use for the onions.

DUCK GLAZED WITH HONEY AND LAVENDER (OR HERBES DE PROVENCE)

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, finely grind half of the lavender (or herbes de provence), thyme, sea salt, and peppercorns.
• Set aside the ground herb rub mix.
• Remove excess fat and skin from duck neck and inside cavity.
• Remove giblets (reserve liver only).
• Thoroughly rinse duck and pat dry with paper towels.
• With very sharp paring knife, carefully score duck breast in criss-cross pattern, making sure to cut through skin and fat only (do not cut into the flesh or"meat" of the duck).
• Rub herb mix into both inside the cavity and the outside of the duck.
• Place liver back into the prepared duck cavity.
• Put duck onto rack inside a roasting pan, breast side up and roast for 2 hours (do not baste during initial roasting).
• Remove duck from oven and increase the oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Put the duck on a platter and carefully pour pan juices into large glass measuring cup.
• Spoon off all but about 1 tablespoon of the clear duck fat into a glass dish and refrigerate to use in other dishes as a sauté medium, for example.
• Pour pan juices and the 1 tablespoon of the duck fat back to the roasting pan and add the chicken broth and wine.
• Put duck back on the rack in the roasting pan and brush with about half of the honey.
• Roast the duck for about 20 minutes, basting at least once with the pan juice/broth/wine mixture.
• Remove the duck from the oven and brush with the rest of the honey, then sprinkle the duck about 1 teaspoon of the lavender or herbes de provence and return to the oven to roast about 5 minutes more.
• Depending on the size of the duck, it may take a bit longer; it is ready to remove from the oven when a meat thermometer inserted into the innermost duck thigh registers 180 degrees Fahrenheit.
• When duck is done, remove from the oven and put it on a platter to rest.
• Remove the liver from the duck cavity and mash finely in a small bowl to be used on crackers or small toasted baguette slices.
• Pour pan juices from the roaster into a saucepan, making sure to scrape up browned bits.
• Add the remaining lavender or herbes de provence to the saucepan, along with salt and pepper to taste and place over medium heat.
• Bring the juices to a boil, whisking often, and cook until the sauce is thickened and coats the back of a spoon.
• Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed.
• Transfer the sauce to a bowl and serve with sliced duck at the table.

CRISPY DUCK BREASTS WITH PEAR AND PEPPERCORN SAUCE

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from duck breasts.
• Heat a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until very hot.
• Pat breasts dry and season with salt.
• Put breasts, skin sides down, in skillet and reduce heat to moderate.
• Cook breasts 20 minutes, or until skin is crisp and mahogany-colored, removing fat from skillet as it is rendered.
• Turn breasts and cook about 2 minutes for medium-rare or to desired doneness.
• Transfer breasts to a plate and keep warm, covered loosely.
• While duck breasts are cooking, peel pear and cut into 1/4-inch dice.
• Pour off all but about 1 tablespoon fat from skillet and sauté pear until lightly browned, about 1 minute.
• In a measuring cup stir together apple juice and cornstarch.
• To pear add Calvados or Armagnac.
• Stir in cornstarch mixture, peppercorns, demiglace or bouillon cube, and thyme and simmer, stirring, 2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
• Serve duck breasts, sliced, with sauce spooned over them.

DUCK WITH HONEY

Steps:

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Finely grind 2 teaspoons fresh or 1 teaspoon dried lavender blossoms, thyme, sea salt and peppercorns in spice grinder or with mortar and pestle. Remove fat deposits and giblets from duck cavity, reserving liver. Trim excess skin and fat from neck area. Rinse inside and out; pat dry. Cutting through skin and fat (but not flesh) of duck breasts, score in crisscross pattern. Rub inside and outside of duck with herb mixture; return duck liver to cavity.
• Place duck, breast up, on rack in roasting pan. Roast 2 hours. Remove from oven. Increase oven temperature to 375°F. Transfer duck to plate. Pour pan juices into 4-cup glass measuring cup; spoon off fat. Return juices and 1 tablespoon fat to pan. Add broth and wine. Return duck to pan. Brush with 2 tablespoons honey.
• Roast duck 20 minutes, basting once with pan juices. Brush with 2 tablespoons honey; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender. Roast duck until deep golden and thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180°F, about 5 minutes longer.
• Transfer duck to platter. Remove liver; mash finely in small bowl. Spread liver over baguette slices. Add 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried lavender to roasting pan. Place over medium heat. Boil juices until thick enough to coat spoon, whisking often, 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to bowl. Slice duck and serve with baguette slices and pan juices.

ROAST LEMON-PEPPER DUCK WITH HONEY LEMON SAUCE

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine lemon zest, 1 teaspoon minced thyme, black pepper and salt. Using your fingers, loosen the skins of the ducks over the breastbones, legs and thighs. Tuck the lemon-pepper mixture evenly beneath the skin, covering each breast, leg and thigh. Tie legs together with kitchen twine.
• Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a roasting pan in the oven for 10 minutes. Place the prepared ducks on a rack in the roasting pan and cook 1 hour 10 minutes. Remove ducks from pan, and bring to room temperature. Quarter the ducks, trimming off any excess fat. Cover, and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.
• To prepare the sauce, place the roasting pan over medium-high heat, and add butter, shallots, garlic and jalapeno. Saute until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the thyme, sage and rosemary, and saute 1 minute more. Add honey and lemon juice. Make a paste of flour and 1 tablespoon water; add to pan. Add veal stock or chicken broth, and reduce until sauce lightly coats the back of a spoon, about 5 minutes. Sauce may be cooled and refrigerated for up to 24 hours.
• To serve, preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a small pan over medium heat, reheat sauce. Heat an ovenproof skillet over high heat, and add duck pieces skin side down. Cook over high heat until skin begins to sizzle, about 1 minute. Reduce heat to low, and crisp duck skin 5 to 7 minutes. Cover with a lid or foil, and reheat in oven for 10 minutes. Transfer to a warm platter, and serve with sauce.