Micro-post #206: How to cook a duck breast without messing it up
- A.B.
- Jul 8
- 1 min read
I cooked duck breast for only the second time in my life a couple of nights ago and am surprised how well it came out. I'm now 2 for 2 when making it, despite having only eaten duck a handful of times ever. I made the following notes in case you need a relatively fool-proof method for cooking it right:
Always start with a cold pan and have another pan waiting to use as a weight.
Score the fat with a knife before cooking, but don't cut into the meat itself.
Start with fat-side down for about 10 minutes (or until crispy) with a pan pressing it down (but be mindful that the grease goes everywhere).
Save the rendered fat carefully! It's an excellent way to add flavor by cooking other things in it instead of butter or oil.
When cooking meat-side, only do it for 2-3 minutes. You want the duck to be about 130 degrees when you take it off the heat.
Put it on a plate and cover it with tin foil for about 10 minutes to let it finish while keeping the juices inside.
Slice it and pair it with a fruity pan sauce. My suggestion is to make one with chicken broth, marmalade, shallot, and apricot brandy.
🦆🦆🦆🦆🦆
If you need some kind of a second opinion or alternative method, here are some videos from the experts instead:
Comments