Duck breasts are easy to cook, as long as you adhere to some basic principles, and the flavor is fantastic. You can buy them all year around in the super markets, there’s usually two in each package.
Servings 4
Instructions
- Start by rinsing the duck breasts in cold water, then pat them dry. Flip them upside down, and trim off any fat or membranes still left. Turn them up again, so the skin side is up
- Now score it diagonally with a sharp knife, make sure you only cut through the skin, not the meat. Then rotate it 90 degrees and score it again, see images.
- Apply a dry brine by rubbing all duck breasts with salt (0.5 tsp per lb of meat). Place them in a plastic bag, squeeze out any air and store in the fridge for 2 hours.
- Turn on the oven, set it to 110° C / 225° F. Take out the duck breasts from the fridge and place them skin side up on an oven tray. Grind some black pepper over the duck breasts, and place in the middle of the oven. Let them sit there until the inner temperature reaches 57-60° C / 136-140° F, this takes 1 hour.
- Take them out, wrap them snugly with aluminum foil and then a towel. Let them rest in room temperature for 30-40 minutes.
- Heat up a frying pan, preferably a cast iron frying pan, and add some butter. Place the duck breasts in the pan (two at at time) when it is really hot. Fry them 1-2 minutes per side. This is only done to give them a nice charred surface, and to re-heat them slightly.
- They are done when the temperature is 61-62° C / 143-144° F. Don’t let them go any higher, as they will be tough and chewy then.
- Slice them diagonally and serve with a tasty orange glaze.
