Duck Breasts have become a staple in many of the better restaurants and pubs we love to eat at. Duck Breasts are easy to cook and are a delicious way to introduce more poultry into your diet.
Demystifying Duck Breast – Pan Seared Duck Breast 101
This is a sponsored post on behalf of Maple Leaf Farms. All opinions and images are 100 % my own.
Most of my friends think that Duck Breast is too difficult to make at home and wouldn’t even know where to begin. The truth of the matter is, it’s just not that difficult to make and duck is actually very versatile and can be served many different ways.
From Prep to finish, this pan-seared duck breast (with the vegetables) can be on your dinner table in about 45 minutes. Seriously, it’s not rocket science.
But there is a secret to cooking duck breast that rivals your favorite restaurant. And the first secret is that most of the restaurants that serve duck use Maple Leaf Farms products.
Before we dive into the process, let’s gather our ingredients. As I finished the process I added two additional items to my list of ingredients that aren’t pictured here, maple syrup and chicken stock. This is called a mise en place in chef speak. Translated it means everything in its place. It’s a good way to make sure you have everything you need before you start cooking.
The secret to cooking duck breast is really pretty simple. You start with a cold pan.
And the reason you do this is to slowly render the fat from the breast while crisping the skin. So place your seasoned duck breast skin side down in a cold, dry skillet. Now comes the fun part!
How to Cook Duck Breast
And the only real secret on how to cook duck breast is to cook it low and slow on the stove top. Rule of thumb is 8-10 minutes over medium heat until the skin becomes beautifully golden brown, thin and super crispy. The time can vary depending on your stove top, so keep an eye on the duck. *Never cook a duck breast over high heat
After searing the skin side of the duck breast its time to turn the breast over to the other side and cook for an additional 3 to 5 minutes for rare to medium-rare (125°F – 130°F on an instant-read thermometer). And this is where I usually run into problems with friends that have never had rare duck breast.
Usually, for my first timers and staunch no pink meat eaters, I cook the duck breast a little longer. Placing the seared duck breast into My wife falls into this category, so you won’t see much pink in the duck in my pictures.
**Make sure you have good ventilation in your kitchen when pan searing any meats or seafood.
When you dine out, unless you specify the duck temperature you will be served medium rare to rare duck breasts. This gets kind of confusing for most people because we have been raised to cook all poultry completely to avoid problems. That being said the USDA recommends cooking to an internal temperature of 170 degrees to ensure any harmful bacteria are killed.
As with any poultry, there’s always the chance that duck harbors harmful bacteria. But cooking duck is different than cooking chicken and turkey because it’s considered to be red meat. And as with other red meats, some people prefer to eat duck that’s cooked medium or medium rare. The choice is yours.
So now that I’ve taken the mystery out of cooking duck it’s time to get into your kitchen and give it a try. Click on the link to find a retail outlet that carries Maple Leaf Farm Duck Breast.
You’ll be surprised at how many of your favorite grocers carry Maple Leaf Farm products! Maple Leaf Farms, a fourth generation family-owned poultry company, is celebrating its 60th anniversary in 2018 with a year-long look back at its history with employees and business partners. Check out their webpage to learn more about their history, products and for more delicious recipes.
If you’ve tried my Pan Seared Duck Breast recipe or any other recipe on askchefdennis.com please don’t forget to rate the recipe and let me know where you found it in the comments below, I love hearing from you! You can also FOLLOW ME on Instagram @chefdenniseats and @chefdennistravels, Twitter and Facebook.
Duck Breasts have become a staple in many of the better restaurants and pubs we love to eat at. Duck Breasts are easy to cook and are a delicious way to introduce more poultry into your diet.
- 2 7.5 ounce Maple Leaf Farms duck breasts boneless
- 2 large sweet potatoes peeled and cubed
- 2 cups baby spinach
- 12 pearl onions peeled
- 2 tablespoons maple syrup
- sea salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 1 tablespoon flour
- 1 tablespoon duck fat
- 4 ounces chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon Italian parsely finely chopped - optional
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Season duck breast liberally with sea salt and black pepper
Place the duck breasts, fat side down, in a cold skillet to render off the fat over medium heat.
Sear the duck breast for 8-10 minutes, trying not to move it until its time to turn it over.
When the skin of the duck breast looks crispy and is a nice shade of dark golden brown drain off the duck fat from the pan and reserve for later use.
Turn the duck breast over to sear on the other side for 4-6 minutes.
Place the duck breast in a preheated oven for 8-10 minutes or until the desired doneness has been reached.
Remove from oven when desired doneness has been reached and allow the cooked duck breast to rest for about 5 minutes before slicing.
In the pan that you seared the duck breasts add back a tablespoon of the reserved duck fat. Add in 1 tablespoons of flour to make a roux.
Allow roux to cook for 1-2 minutes to get rid of the raw flour taste. The roux can get dark brown, as this will help the color of the pan gravy.
Add chicken stock to the roux until and cook over low heat until the gravy has thickened slightly. Don't allow it to thicken completely as you will want to reheat the gravy right before you serve the duck.
Taste the pan gravy and season as needed
Peel sweet potatoes and cut into chunky pieces that are still somewhat bite size.
peel pearl onions and add to bowl with sweet potato chunks
Coat sweet potatoes and onions with a little olive oil and season with sea salt and black pepper to taste.
Place vegetables on a foil lined sheet pan and roast at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. (if you start this about the same time as you start searing the duck they should be done just at the right time)
Remove vegetables from oven, place in mixing bowl or saute pan. Add spinach and maple syrup. Reseason with sea salt and black pepper if desired. Toss mixture to wilt the spinach and coat the veggies with the maple syrup.
Place cooked vegetables on serving a dish.
Slice duck breast and place on top of the vegetable mixture.
Add pan gravy around the inside edge of the serving dish, not directly on the vegetables or duck, but around it.
Sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley to garnish if desired and serve.
Stephanie says
I;ve never eaten duck before, but I’ve always heard it’s delicious. This recipe looks amazing and like something I could make myself. I’ll have to save it to try later.
Michelle says
I have actually never tried duck. I am not sure I would have the nerve to do it. I am so picky and weird with meat. You definitely have made it look and sound appetizing though.
Shelley says
I have never eaten duck before. I found your explanation of how to cook it properly quite easy to understand.
Easter Babe says
Wow! That looks wonderful. I’ve never cooked a duck breast before. I may have to give this recipe a try. It looks fairly easy to make. I love that you paired it with spinach and sweet potatoes.
Angela Tolsma says
So a year ago I find maple leaf farm duck breast and decided to give it a try. They have the best directions and tasted amazing. It’s now one of my go tos for when we have company. I will definitely have to try it with the sides you have recipes for!
Lisa says
oh. my. goodness. this looks so freaking delicious! My mouth is literally watering haha! I need to make this asap! Thanks for the recipe!
Kara Ferwerda says
Mouth watering! This looks really yummy and healthy! I will have to make this for dinner this week!
Sneha Lodha says
It looks delicious. I will definitely try preparing it for my family this mother’s day 😊
Yesenia says
Wow! This sounds delicious! And you’re right, I definitely am one of those who is intimidated with making duck at home. You make it sound manageable though!
David Allen Elliott says
This really looks amazing. I know I have had some amazing duck before. But I would never have thought to make it like this. I will have to try it out.
Sarah says
I have never had duck before but that seems like a simple & good recipe!
Online cake delivery in Pune says
Thanks for the recipe! The drizzle of balsamic looks like a very nice touch and makes for beautiful presentation.
I just put this together and i m waiting for BREAKFAST AND LUNCH ALSO so I can devoure it… well thanks a ton for sharing.
I haven’t made anything like this before. Looks good. You are so hilarious as always. I always enjoy reading your posts.
DebMc says
I love Duck! I have never cooked it – but this sounds very good and simple. Going to try it. I am glad I did the research – before cooking – the note of starting with Cold Pan – Great Note to File!