Honey Duck Breast Recipes

FRENCH HONEY-LACQUERED DUCK BREAST

Steps:

• Gather the ingredients.
• Preheat a large skillet over medium-high heat.
• Cut small slits in the skin side of the duck breast. The slits should be shallow without slicing all the way through into the flesh.
• Season the duck e both sides with the salt and pepper
• Sear the duck breasts, skin side down for 3 minutes.
• Reduce the heat to medium-low and flip the duck breasts over, cooking them for an additional 4 to 5 minutes.
• Transfer them to a plate and cover them with foil so they retain their warmth.
• Pour off the rendered duck fat and turn the heat up to medium.
• Deglaze the skillet with the honey and balsamic vinegar , scraping up the browned bits as the sauce cooks.
• Simmer the honey vinegar glaze for 2 to 3 minutes until it turns slightly thick. Season with just a dash of salt.
• Return the duck breasts to the pan, turning them a few times to coat them evenly with the honey glaze.
• Carve and serve them immediately, garnished with a drizzle of extra glaze and the chopped nuts if desired.

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.

HONEY ROASTED DUCK

Steps:

• For the DUCK: Score the skin of the duck breasts in a criss cross pattern with a very sharp knife. Season the duck breast generously with salt and the five spice and rub into the skin thoroughly.
• Place the duck breasts, skin-side down, on a dry ovenproof pan and cook over very low heat to render down most of the fat. This may take 8-10 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fat.
• Save some excess fat for the potatoes later.
• Now turn up the heat and fry until the skin is crisp. Turn the duck breasts over and cook the other side for another 3-4 minutes. Just before the duck is ready, drizzle the honey and soy sauce over. Toss and turn the duck in the honey and soy and cook until the liquid has reduced to a syrupy glaze. Transfer the duck to a warm plate and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes.
• Slice the duck lengthways and place on top. Drizzle any remaining pan juices over and finish with a small drizzle of the vinaigrette.
• For the POTATOES: use a large, sharp cook’s knife, chop the shallots and garlic into very fine dice. Place the shallots and garlic into a heavy-based saucepan with the extra virgin olive oil, a light sprinkling of salt, the sugar, herbs and a splash of water
• Set the pan over high heat. When the oil becomes hot, adjust the heat to a moderate setting, give the shallots and garlic a stir and cover the pan with a lid. Cook for 20-25 minutes, shaking the pan from time to time and stirring every 5 minutes, to stop the shallots and garlic sticking to the bottom. You should be left with a soft, sweet and lightly golden shallot mixture. Set aside.
• Cut the potatoes into 1 cm thick slices. Boil in salted water for 6 minutes until just tender. Drain well then pat dry between sheets of kitchen paper. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over high heat. Add the potato slices and season with salt and pepper. Fry for about 3 minutes on each side until lightly golden.
• Add a tablespoon of the confit and sauté for another 1-2 minutes, tossing and turning the potatoes, until golden and crisp at the edges.

SEARED DUCK BREAST WITH CHILI, HONEY & GINGER GLAZE

Steps:

• With the point of a knife, score the skin side of the breasts in crosshatch pattern, being careful not to pierce the flesh of the meat. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Heat a sauté pan over medium heat for 1 minute before adding the breasts, skin side down. Cook skin side down over medium to low heat, for approximately 10 to 12 minutes to render the fat from the skin before turning the breasts over. When the duck has rendered its fat and the skin has taken on a crisp exterior quality turn the breasts over and sauté the flesh side for 3 to 4 minutes. Carefully remove the duck from the pan, place on a platter to keep warm and pour the excess fat safely into a heat proof container. (The reserved duck fat may be chilled and used for another cooking use.)
• While the duck is cooking (or even before you cook the duck), remove the chili pepper from the water in which it had soaked and reserve the liquid. Place the chili into a blender and begin to pureé, adding as much of the reserved liquid as necessary to create a smooth and thin paste-like texture. This chili paste may be refrigerated for a day covered with plastic wrap or pour a tablespoon of olive oil on its surface and keep refrigerated for up to 1 week.
• After removing the duck breasts from the pan add the onion to still hot pan and return to the heat. Add a tablespoon or two of reserved duck fat. Sauté the onion briefly before adding the ginger and 2 tablespoons of the chili paste. Add the honey and port to the ginger chili, stir to combine and cook for one minute.
• The breasts have rested for several minutes and should now be medium rare. They can be sliced lengthwise or cross-wise and several slices placed on each plate. Drizzle the warm glaze over the duck or for more impact, brush some on the duck breasts before slicing, run the duck under a hot broiler for 1 minute, caramelize the glaze and then slice and drizzle. If you desire, drizzle some around the duck breasts on the serving dish.

DUCK BREASTS WITH HONEY AND MUSTARD

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season duck generously with salt and pepper. Heat two ovenproof skillets over medium-high heat and add the breasts, skin-side down. Sear until the skin is golden and begins to render its fat, 5 to 8 minutes. Pour off excess fat and transfer the skillets to the oven. Roast until desired doneness, about 16 minutes for medium.
• Remove duck from the pans and set aside. Pour off excess fat and add the mustard and honey to one pan. Stir over low heat for a few minutes. Remove from heat and add the breasts and any juices. Turn to coat with sauce. Let sit for 2 more minutes, slice, drizzle with remaining sauce and serve.