Five Spice Duck Breast Recipes

FIVE-SPICE DUCK BREAST WITH BLACKBERRIES

Steps:

• Trim duck breasts as necessary, removing extraneous fat or gristle. Score the skin side of the breast diagonally with a sharp knife.
• Season both sides of the duck breasts with salt, then sprinkle both sides evenly with five-spice powder. Mix together ginger and garlic and use it to slather the breasts. Cover and let marinate for 30 minutes at room temperature. (Alternatively, wrap and refrigerate for several hours, or even overnight; bring back to room temperature before cooking.)
• Place a cast-iron pan over medium-high heat. When pan is hot, lay duck breast in it skin-side down. Let sizzle gently for 7 minutes, until skin is crisp and golden, adjusting heat as necessary to keep from getting too dark too quickly. Turn breast over and cook 3 to 5 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer should register 125 degrees for medium rare. Remove from pan and let rest for 10 minutes on a warm plate. Drain fat from pan (reserve for another use if you wish).
• Make the sauce: Over medium heat, add shallots to same pan and cook until softened, about 2 to 3 minutes. Add sherry vinegar, brown sugar and half the blackberries, stirring until sugar is dissolved and berries have released their juice. Add chicken broth, raise heat and simmer rapidly until liquid is reduced by half and a bit syrupy. Strain the contents of the skillet into a small saucepan and keep warm.
• To serve, slice duck breast thinly across the grain on a diagonal and arrange on a platter. Spoon the sauce over the meat and garnish with the rest of the blackberries.

PAN-SEARED FIVE-SPICE DUCK BREAST WITH BALSAMIC JUS

Steps:

• In a large, heavy self-sealing plastic bag, combine the garlic, ginger, five-spice powder, salt, and pepper. Add the duck breasts, seal, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours. Remove from the refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 400°F/200°C/gas 6. In a large ovenproof sauté pan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Sear the duck breast, skin side down, for 5 minutes; turn and sear for 5 minutes on the other side. Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for 5 minutes for medium-rare. Transfer the duck breasts to a plate and keep warm.
• To make a balsamic jus, pour off the fat from the pan. Return the pan to medium-high heat, add the wine, and stir to scrape up the browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook to reduce the wine by half. Add the balsamic vinegar and cook to reduce for several more minutes.
• Cut the duck breasts into diagonal slices and serve drizzled with the balsamic jus.

FIVE-SPICE DUCK BREASTS

Steps:

• Combine 1 tablespoon soy sauce, rice wine, five-spice powder and ginger in a small bowl. Pat duck dry and trim the skin from the sides, leaving skin (and fat) just on top. Place the duck in a shallow glass baking dish and baste with the sauce mixture. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat oven to 425°F. Combine the remaining 1 teaspoon soy sauce and honey in a small bowl and place next to the stove.
• Using the tip of a sharp paring knife, score the duck skin in a crosshatch pattern. Sprinkle both sides of the duck with salt. Place, skin-side down, in a large cast-iron or ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Cook, undisturbed, until some of the fat is rendered and the skin is golden brown, about 8 minutes. Transfer the duck to a clean plate and carefully pour out the fat from the pan. Return the duck to the pan, skin-side up, and brush with the honey mixture. Transfer the pan to the oven.
• Roast the duck until an instant-read thermometer registers 150°F, 10 to 15 minutes. Transfer to a clean cutting board. Combine hoisin and plum sauces; brush over the duck and let rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

FIVE-SPICE DUCK

Steps:

• To make the five-spice rub, put the fennel, cinnamon, star anise, Szechwan peppercorns (or cardamom), cloves, and chipotle pepper in a small pan over medium heat and toast for a few minutes until aromatic, shaking the pan. Let cool, then grind the toasted spices in a spice mill or clean coffee grinder. Transfer the ground spices to a bowl. Add the ginger, garlic, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Stir to combine well.
• Pat spice rub generously all over the skin of the ducks, place them on a rack over a roasting pan, and refrigerate them, uncovered, for at least 2 hours, or, preferably overnight.
• Preheat a grill.
• When you are ready to cook the ducks, place them on a rotisserie over a grill with a drip pan set directly under the ducks. Keep the fire fairly low to avoid flare ups. Cook the ducks until the juices run clear and an instant read thermometer inserted into the thigh reads 175 degrees F, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove the ducks from the rotisserie and carve them into breast and leg-thigh portions.

FIVE-SPICE DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Place the duck breasts skin-side down on a cutting board and trim any excess skin that hangs over the sides of the breasts. Flip the breasts over and score the skin with four parallel, diagonal cuts. Dust the breasts on both sides with the five-spice powder.
• Heat a cast-iron pan over medium-low heat. Place duck breasts in the pan, skin-side down, and cook until the fat has melted and the skin is golden brown, about 10 minutes. Flip the breasts over and continue to cook for about 10 minutes for medium doneness. Remove the duck to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes (this ensures the duck will be plump and juicy). To serve, cut the breasts into 1/4-inch-thick slices and spread out in a shingle pattern on a large platter.

FIVE-SPICE DUCK BREASTS WITH VEGETABLE STICKS

Steps:

• Cut all the vegetables into to thin sticks, about the same size as the beans. Drop the beans into a pan of boiling water and bring back to the boil.
• Add the carrots and the red pepper and cook for 1 minute. Drain, rinse under cold water, and then dry on kitchen paper.
• Lightly score the skin of each duck breast into a diamond pattern with the tip of a sharp knife, taking care that you don't cut through the meat.
• Heat a dry frying pan until it is quite hot. Add the duck breasts, skin-side down, reduce the heat to medium and cook them for about three to four minutes until the skin is crisp and golden brown.
• Turn the breasts over and cook them for another five minutes, or a little longer if you don't like your duck too pink. Meanwhile, mix together the five-spice powder, honey, sweet soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and chili.
• Pour away all of the excess fat from the pan. Add the honey mixture and leave it to bubble away, turning the duck breasts now and then, until they are nicely glazed.
• Meanwhile, heat the oil in a wok or another frying pan, add the garlic, ginger and vegetables and stir-fry for one to two minutes until they are cooked but still crunchy. Season with some salt and pepper.
• Pile the vegetable sticks into the centre of two warmed plates. Slice each duck breast on the diagonal and carefully sit it on top of the vegetables.
• Spoon over any remaining glaze and serve immediately.