Restaurant-style duck breast at home

Duck breast with silky mashed potatoes, lingonberry jam, roasted vegetables or caramelized beets – divine and, above all, incredibly quick to make at home. Believe me, eating like a restaurant is very easy! 😋 This duck breast recipe has been tested by us many times and it turns out perfectly every time.

A few important tricks

• Dry aging: Duck breasts are usually sold vacuum packed. If you do not plan to bake them the same day, unwrap them, dry them with a paper towel and leave them in the refrigerator for a few days on a wooden board, or even better on a metal rack, skin side up. During this time, the breasts will mature, the excess liquid will drain and the cooked skin will be much crispier!
• We cook COLD meat: Unlike beef steak, duck breast is cooked cold, straight from the fridge. We need the fatty skin to release the fat slowly when heated and brown, while the inside of the meat remains perfectly pink.
• Salt: We salt the cold meat and only from the skin side, because salt helps to dissolve skin fat faster. Do not add salt to the sides of red meat before cooking to prevent juices from escaping.

You will need

If you are preparing a main course for serious eaters, count one breast per person. If you serve with hearty side dishes (mashed potatoes, beets, orange sauce) or if you are waiting for guests and have more snacks, one larger brisket will definitely be enough for two.

• Duck breasts: (about 200-250g each)
• Sea Salts: (tastiest in flakes)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme or rosemary: (optional but very good)

Cooking process: pan, then oven

1. Preparation: Cut the skin with a sharp knife in diamond shapes (about 1 cm apart) without cutting the meat itself. Season the skin with sea salt and the meat with pepper.
2. Oven: Turn on the oven to preheat to 200°C.
3. Cold pan: Place the duck breasts skin side down in the COLD skillet (or other oven-safe pan) and turn on medium heat. Do not use any additional oil!
4. Fat melting: Cook skin side down for about 6-8 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Pour the accumulated fat into a jar (it will be perfect for roast potatoes!).
5. Toasting: Turn the breast meat side down and cook for just 1 minute to brown the surface.
6. Baking in the oven: Turn the brisket over again skin side up and place the pan in an oven preheated to 200 °C for 5-6 minutes (for medium-rare, pink meat).
7. Rest (necessary!): After removing from the oven, transfer the meat to a plate and let it rest for 8-10 minutes. Only during this time, the meat juice will be distributed evenly and will not escape when cutting. You can sprinkle fresh thyme on top and cover with foil, but be careful, if you seal too much, the skin will get soggy.

Cut diagonally into slices about 1cm thick and serve with your favorite side dish.

Delicious! 🍷😋

Duck breast

Author Lina

PRINT

Ingredients

• Duck breasts: (about 200-250 g each)
• Sea salts: (best in flakes)
• Freshly ground black pepper
• Fresh thyme or rosemary: (optional, but great)

Instructions

1. Preparation: Cut the skin with a sharp knife in rhombuses (about 1 cm apart), without cutting the meat itself. Season the skin with sea salt and the meat with pepper.
2. Oven: Turn on the oven to preheat to 200°C.
3. Cold pan: Place the duck breasts, skin side down, in a COLD roasting pan (or other oven-safe pan) and turn on medium heat. Do not use any additional oil!
4. Fat rendering: Cook skin side down for about 6-8 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy. Pour the accumulated fat into a jar (it will be perfect for roast potatoes!).
5. Browning: Turn the brisket meat side down and cook for just 1 minute to brown the surface.
6. Cooking in the oven: Turn the breast over again, skin side up, and place the pan in an oven preheated to 200 °C for 5-6 minutes (for medium-rare, pink meat).
7. Rest (required!): After removing from the oven, transfer the meat to a plate and let it rest for 8-10 minutes. Only during this time, the meat juice will be distributed evenly and will not escape when cutting. You can sprinkle fresh thyme on top and cover with foil, but be careful, if you seal too much, the skin will get soggy.
8. Cut diagonally into slices about 1 cm thick and serve with your favorite side dish.

Notes

If you are preparing a main course for serious eaters, count one breast per person. If you serve with hearty side dishes (mashed potatoes, beets, orange sauce) or if you are waiting for guests and have more snacks, one larger brisket will definitely be enough for two.