Duck is something my husband cooks maybe once a fortnight or so when he knows that I’m going to be home from work later than him. It’s quick, it’s easy & it’s very tasty.
This recipe mixes things up a little and adds a French twist to it. We made it the other night and were very impressed by how little tweaks can make such a difference to a meal.. It’s definitely worth giving a go and something that I’m sure we’ll make again at some stage.
Twenty-minute honey-glazed duck breasts
INGREDIENTS
2 large duck breasts, or 4 small duck breasts (about 2 pounds (1kg) total), at room temperature
Salt & freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
Juice of 1 lime
DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 250F / 121C.
Using the point of a sharp knife, score the duck skin in a crosshatch pattern, cutting deeply into the layer of fat but taking care not to nick the meat.
Season both sides of the breasts with salt and pepper.
Heat a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. (You can cook the breasts in a skillet, but a casserole does a much better job of containing the fat spatters. A cast iron casserole is perfect.) When a few drops of water sprinkled into the pot dance and evaporate quickly, put the breasts in the casserole skin side down – stand away, because the fat will spatter. Cook for 8 minutes, or until the skin is brown and crisp.
Turn the pieces over and cook for 3 minutes more for very rare breasts, which will cook a tad more during their rest in the oven. If you’d like the meat slightly more cooked, keep the breasts in the pot for up to 2 minutes longer. (Cook any longer, and they will really be well-done, which is not what’s best for a duck breast.)
Lift the breasts out of the pot and onto a sheet of aluminium foil.
Seal the breasts loosely in the foil and put them on a baking sheet in the oven for 5 minutes to rest and finish cooking.
Pour off almost all the fat from the pot (you should have just a teaspoon or two left in the pot), and put the pot over medium heat. When the fat is warm, stir in the balsamic, honey, and lime juice, as well as the duck juices that have accumulated in the foil packet, and cook, stirring, for 1 minute.
Return the breasts to the pot and reheat them, about 30 seconds on each side.
Slice the duck and serve drizzled with the sauce.
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To accompany the duck, I followed Dorie’s recipe for pancetta green beans. However, I substituted the pancetta for prosciutto because I had some lying around in my fridge!
Pancetta green beans
INGREDIENTS
3/4 pound / 340 grams green beans, trimmed
2 ounces / 57 grams pancetta, coarsely chopped
1/2 tbsp unsalted butter
Salt & freshly ground pepper
Walnut oil or extra-virgin olive oil
DIRECTIONS
Bring a large pot of salted water to boil, and fill a bowl with ice cubes and cold water. Toss the beans into the boiling water and cook just until crisp-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain, transfer to the ice-water bath, and cool for 2 minutes; drain and pat dry.
Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the pancetta and saute until frizzled and crisp, about 2 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the pancetta to a plate lined with paper towels and pat dry. Drain all but 1 tbsp of fat from the skillet.
Return the skillet to medium heat and add the butter. When the fat is hot, toss in the beans and cook, stirring until heated through. Season with salt and pepper.
Stir in the pancetta.
Remove from the heat and drizzle the beans with a little oil.
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So there you have it – Dorie’s two recipes – made in under 30 minutes. An amazing saviour for those after work evenings when you want something substantial but want it right now!!
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