duck breasts

Pan Seared Duck Breast

Pekin (or other) Duck Breasts

Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Canola Oil

Score the fat of the chilled breasts with a sharp knife into a 1/2&quot; hatch being careful not to pierce the meat.

Pat dry and season well with Kosher Salt and pepper. Rub the seasoning into the skin.

Drizzle a thin layer of canola oil into a cold heavy carbon steel or cast iron skillet, then place the breasts fat side down and turn the heat on to medium. Press the breasts down so the skin fully makes contact with the pan.

Render the fat render for about 20 minutes, or until the skin is crispy and most of the fat is rendered off.

Turn the heat down to low and carefully turn the breasts over to finish cooking on the flesh side.  Immediately sprinkle a little more salt on the hot skin.

Cook on the flesh side for 2 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of your duck breasts. Until the internal temperature reaches 125° to 130°F for medium-rare.

Remove from the skillet and rest skin side up uncovered for 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

Serve tender spicy duck with a side of cucumber and radish in this gourmet Asian-style dish.

Asian style duck with cucumber and radish salad

tbsp Szechuan pepper (see note)

tbsp garam masala spice blend

ginger

tsp sesame oil

tsp wasabi paste (see note)

orange

Chinese rice wine (shaohsing) (see note)

duck breasts (see note)

hoisin sauce

(125 milliliters) Massel chicken style liquid stock

white rice,

tbsp caster sugar

(60 milliliters) lime juice

tbsp fish sauce

telegraph cucumber, peeled, halved, sliced

red chilli, seeds removed, thinly sliced

pea shoots (see note) pea sprouts

red radishes,

With its sweet dressing and supple and crunchy textures, you can't pass up this recipe for duck salad.

Spiced duck breast with orange and fennel salad

fennel seeds

cumin seeds

dried chilli flakes

black peppercorns

duck breasts, skin scored

oranges (to give about 300 milliliters)

(185 milliliters) red wine

sherry vinegar or red wine vinegar

star anise

(75 grams) caster sugar

fennel bulbs, trimmed, thinly sliced, fronds reserved

oranges, peeled,

(60 milliliters) extra virgin olive oil

(35 grams) chopped pistachios

Treat yourself to Barney Desmazery's one-pan solo supper - with the extra bonus of next to no washing up

Simmered duck with cabbage & potato

duck breast

rashers smoked back bacon

potato

Savoy cabbage

chicken stock

parsley

garlic

Heat a small saucepan (one with a lid) on a medium heat. Season the breast, lay it skin side down in the pan and reduce the heat to the lowest it will go. Leave to sizzle for about 15 minutes, uncovered, until the skin is golden and crisp and has rendered most of its fat. Don’t shake the pan or move the duck.

Remove the duck (the meat side will be raw). Pour out just over half the fat (save it for frying vegetables another time) and turn up the heat slightly. Add the bacon and fry for 2-3 minutes until starting to crisp. Add the potato, cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the potato looks sticky and has just started to brown at the edges.

Tip in the cabbage and stir until glossy, then pour in the stock. Nestle the duck, skin side up, among the cabbage and potato and cover the pan. Simmer gently for 10 minutes until the veg is tender and the duck cooked. Remove the duck from the pan and stir in the parsley and garlic. To serve, spoon the veg, bacon and juice on to a plate and sit the duck on top. Pour a glass of wine and enjoy the flavours of autumn.

This easy yet impressive recipe makes a stylish main course for a special occasion

Roasted duck breast with plum sauce

thyme

butter

shallot, finely chopped

olive oil

dark red plums, halved, stoned and cut into small wedges

demerara sugar

red wine

beef stock

For the sauce, fry the shallot in the oil for 5 mins or until softened but not coloured. Add the plums and sugar, stirring for a few mins until the sugar has dissolved. Add the red wine and stock, then simmer for about 15 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly thickened. Keep warm or leave at room temperature for up to a day before reheating to serve.

Meanwhile, heat the oven to 180C/ 160C fan/gas 4. Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a non-stick frying pan and place the duck breasts in, skin-side down. Fry for 6-7 mins, then turn and add the thyme, star anise and butter. Allow this to melt, basting the duck with the juices, then transfer everything to a small roasting tin and finish in the oven for 5-6 mins for pink or 10-12 mins for well done.

When the duck is ready, baste again with the juices, then rest for 5 mins while you finish everything else.

To serve, thinly slice each duck breast on a chopping board. Arrange on each plate along with a spoon of the Creamed potatoes, some of the plum sauce and the Buttered spinach.

A restaurant-quality dish by Gordon Ramsay made using easily found ingredients

Pan-fried duck breast with creamed cabbage, chestnuts & caramelised pear

tsp white wine vinegar

celeriac

smoked bacon

thyme leaf

double cream

cooked chestnut pieces, sliced

pear

tbsp icing sugar

tsp balsamic vinegar

Lightly score the skin of the duck breasts, then season well. Place a non-stick pan over a medium heat, then lay the duck in the pan, skin-side down. Cook until the fat starts to come from the duck, then add the garlic and thyme. Turn down the heat, then continue to cook for 15-20 mins, depending on the size of the duck breast, until the skin is really crisp and brown. As it cooks, pour the fat into a large pan for the cabbage.

Flip the duck over, cook on the flesh side for 3 mins until browned, then turn off the heat (this will result in meat that is pink in the middle - cook for a few minutes longer if you like it well done). Leave the duck in the pan to rest.

While the duck cooks, heat 1 tbsp of its fat in the other pan. Add the celeriac and bacon, then gently fry for 5 mins until the celeriac has browned and the bacon starts to crisp. Add the thyme, then the cabbage. Fry the cabbage for 5 mins until it starts to wilt. Add 100ml water and simmer for 5 mins until the water has evaporated and the celeriac is soft. Pour in the cream, stir to coat, then add the chestnuts and heat through. This can be done up to a day ahead - cook the celeriac in 1 tbsp vegetable oil instead of the duck fat and reheat with an extra splash of cream before serving.

Cut the pear in half and use a melon baller or teaspoon to scoop out the core. Place a star anise in the cavity of each half.

Place 3 tbsp of the icing sugar in a non-stick pan and heat to make a light amber caramel. Pour in the vinegar and bubble to make a sticky syrup. Dust the pear halves heavily with the rest of the icing sugar, then place the pan back on the heat. Cook the pear for 10 mins until brown and caramelised all over. This can be done up to a day ahead and reheated, adding a splash of water.

To serve, slice each duck breast lengthways and dress the watercress in the olive oil and vinegar. Spoon a neat mound of cabbage on one side of each plate. Place a pear half, cut-side up, on the opposite side of the plate and drizzle the sticky sauce around it. Place the outside slices of duck breast on the cabbage and fan the rest of the duck over. Scatter the dressed watercress sprigs around the sides of the plates and serve.

Looking for a quick midweek meal? You can rustle up this hoisin duck stir-fry in just 15 minutes flat. It’s low in fat and calories, but full of flavour

Hoisin duck stir-fry

tbsp groundnut oil

duck breasts (250 grams), sliced

pak choi

onion

carrot

celery stick, finely sliced

tsp sherry vinegar or rice vinegar

Chinese five spice

tbsp cornflour

spring onions

cooked rice or egg noodles

lime

Heat a wok or a large frying pan over a high heat. Drizzle in 1/2 tbsp of the oil and stir-fry the duck for 5 mins until cooked through and golden. Set aside on a plate. Heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp oil and add the pak choi, onion, carrot and celery. Fry for another 5 mins until golden but still crunchy.

Mix the vinegar, five spice, hoisin, 6 tbsp water, and cornflour together in a small bowl. Add to the wok with the veg along with the cooked duck. Stir well and simmer for 2-3 mins until the sauce thickens and coats the veg. Scatter with the spring onions and serve with noodles or rice and the lemon wedges for squeezing over.

Try our take on a beloved Chinese takeaway dish – it's easier to recreate at home than you might think. Enjoy with steamed rice or on its own with stir-fried greens

Duck in plum sauce (Chinese-style)

rice and stir-fried greens, to serve (optional)

duck breasts (about 340 grams)

tbsp dark soy sauce

plums (about 160 grams), stoned and sliced

cinnamon

rock sugar (find online

lemon

tbsp Shaohsing wine

tbsp light soy sauce

Gently score the skin of both duck breasts using a sharp knife, then rub the dark soy sauce all over the breasts and into the cuts.

Heat the oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and sear the duck breasts, skin-side down, until starting to turn crispy, about 5 mins. Flip over and cook for 5 mins more, then remove to a plate, leaving any fat behind, and set aside to rest.

Add the plum slices, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, rock sugar and lemon zest to the pan. Pour in the Shaohsing wine and light soy sauce, mix well, then add 200ml water and simmer gently for 15 mins over a medium heat. Nestle the duck breasts in, skin-side up, cover with a lid and cook for a further 15 mins.

Season with ¼ tsp salt, then remove the duck from the pan and slice into even pieces. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a bowl, then pour the plum sauce over the duck breasts. Serve with cooked rice and stir-fried greens, if you like.

An impressive starter from Gordon Ramsay, that's surprisingly simple to put together. Make it a few days ahead to allow the flavours to develop

Gordon's rustic pâté

skinless chicken breast

pork tenderloin

tbsp Armagnac brandy

tbsp goose fat

about thinly sliced rindless streaky bacon (dry cure is best) or pancetta

milliliters double cream

tarragon

Prepare duck and chicken breasts and the pork fillet by trimming off any sinews and fat. Smash the garlic with the back of a knife to crush roughly. Mix the meats in a bowl with the garlic, thyme, Armagnac, oil and pepper (no salt at this stage). Cover and marinate in the fridge for 1-24 hrs, depending on depth of flavour that’s required.

Drain the meats from the marinade, which can be discarded, and cut into chunks of about 1.5cm. Heat the goose fat or butter in a large frying pan and fry the meats for 2 mins on each side to brown. Discard the garlic and thyme sprigs. Season and cool.

Grease a 1kg terrine or loaf tin well. Arrange strips of bacon on the base and up both sides with enough overhanging to fold over. You will have a double layer of bacon on the base. Set aside.

Soften the sausagemeat in a big bowl with a wooden spoon, then work in the cream and chopped herbs. To check the seasoning, shape a tbsp of the mixture into a patty and fry in a little oil for 2-3 mins, then taste and add more salt and pepper to the bowl, if needed.

Mix the marinated meats into the sausagemeat. Scoop the mixture into the terrine, pressing down well and mounding up on the top. Pull the overhanging bacon strips up and over to cover.

Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Double-wrap the terrine top in foil, pressing well into the sides and twisting the ends to seal. Place in a large, deep-sided roasting pan and pour in boiling water to reach halfway up the sides. Bake for 1 hr, until the meat feels firm on top when pressed. Remove from the oven and leave to cool, then chill overnight.

To serve, place the terrine in a pan of just-boiled water and leave for 3 mins to soften the bacon. Loosen the sides with a flat knife and ease the terrine out onto a board. Serve in slices with pear compote, some winter salad leaves and chunks of crusty bread.

Top 9 duck breasts recipes from across the web

The most viewed duck breasts recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine

Top Tags

Pan Seared Duck Breast

Asian style duck with cucumber and ...

Spiced duck breast with orange and ...

Simmered duck with cabbage & potato

Roasted duck breast with plum sauce

Pan-fried duck breast with creamed ...

Hoisin duck stir-fry

Duck in plum sauce (Chinese-style)

Gordon's rustic pâté

Top 9 duck breasts recipes from across the web

The most viewed duck breasts recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engineic_arrow_forward_48px

Top Tags

Pan Seared Duck Breast

Asian style duck with cucumber and ...

Spiced duck breast with orange and ...

Simmered duck with cabbage & potato

Roasted duck breast with plum sauce

Pan-fried duck breast with creamed ...

Hoisin duck stir-fry

Duck in plum sauce (Chinese-style)

Gordon's rustic pâté

The most viewed duck breasts recipes by Recipe Cart users, saved from over 6,000 sites. Or, go to our Recipe Search Engine