If you’ve never had duck before, well now is the time to try it. Â It is in my opinion of the most succulent dishes you can have and is perfect for a special occasion. If you are unfamiliar with duck here’s a quick breakdown. The leg of the duck is often called duck confit, which requires the meat to sit and cook in it’s own fat for a period of about 24-48 hours.
It is cooked slowly and at very low temperature, is quite a process, but will literally melt in your mouth. Â The breast, is of course the leaner part of the bird, and is usually scored to render fat, then cooked in a pan and finished in the oven. Â But even the breast has a very fatty and decadent flavour. Â People that never tried duck before often ask what it tastes like, and the best answer I can give you is: Try it! Â It’s fatty and delicious and you will love it. Â I’ve never met anyone who didn’t.
And please please whatever you do, do not waste the duck fat. Â That stuff is gold. Â Seriously, better than bacon fat. Â You can use that stuff to cook anything and it will make it ridiculously decadent. Â Anything slowly cooked in fat (usually duck fat) is referred to as confit by the way). Â Â Confit potatoes are a classic, although I really like confit carrots. Â Whatever you do, just don’t waste that precious stuff.
- 4 duck breasts
- 1/2 tsp onion or garlic powder,
- salt & pepper
- half a head of red cabbage core removed and shredded
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1 apple, shredded (I used pink lady)
- 2 tbsp duck fat
- 2 tbsp sherry vinegar
- 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock
- 1 tsp fresh thyme
- salt and pepper, to taste
- Start by melting your duck fat in a large wok on medium-high heat.
- Add sliced onion and lower temperature. Cook until translucent, about 5 minutes.
- Add cabbage and stir well. Bring temperature up to medium-high again and saute for a few minutes. Add in half the sherry vinegar and half the broth, fresh thyme and salt and pepper.
- Cover and let simmer on low-medium heat for about 15-20 minutes or until almost tender.
- Add apple with remainder of the sherry vinegar and broth and simmer for an additional 5 minutes or until the mixture has reached desired consistency.
- Preheat oven to 375f degrees.
- Begin by washing duck breasts and pat dry with paper towel.
- Score lines diagonally across duck breasts in both directions, creating a criss-cross pattern. Be careful not to cut into the meat. (see picture above).*
- Season with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
- Place duck breasts skin side down in a frying pan on high heat. ***It is important to put the duck breast in the pan when cold as this will allow the breast to render it's fat. If you place the breast in a hot pan, the fat will be sealed in and this will create a more chewy product. *** Cook for about 5 minutes, or until skin is a nice golden brown and is crispy. Flip over and cook for an additional 2 minutes.
- Remove from heat and place a piece of foil on top of the breast, skin side up. Place in oven for about 5-7 minutes. At this point, depending on your oven and thickness of your duck breasts, they should be done about medium-rare to medium.
- Save duck fat for any future recipes, this stuff is gold.
*The reason for scoring the meat is to render the fat and get the skin to become nice and crispy.