The perfect breast!

[zeb]

Have friends coming to eat here tonight and one of them is a French chef!!!!!!

Anyway - I have the duck breasts but how do I cook them so that they are pink and perfect without splattering the kitchen with hot fat? Friend asked me if I have honey but lord knows what I'm supposed to do with it!

Help!

[Kevinmc]

It's so quick, you can try it before tonight. You can score the breast to stop the breast curling. There's supposed to be a bit of the flesh you can cut out instead, but I've not tried it.

Clear honey in a frying pan - nothing more. Cook breast fat side down for 3 or 4 minutes. Depending on size 10-12 minutes in 180 degrees oven. Most importantly, rest the meat for at least ten minutes.

Yum1

In fact I've got one in the fridge for tonight. Except I can't use honey, but the remaining duck fat makes the perfect saute potatoe

[Cat]

My favourite way with breasts is also one that my french fella adores, and takes less than 15 minutes.

You'll need duck breasts, honey, oranges and some Grand Marnier/Cointreau/Mandarine/or other orange liqueur.  Failing that, brandy is almost as good.

Start by zesting or grating the peel of the oranges (about one orange per 2 breasts) you'll need this later. Then...

Dry the breasts with kitchen roll

Heat plates in a low oven (you'll need to bung the breasts in there later)

Get a large frying pan good and hot (no fat/oil needed)

Score the fat on the breast diagonally with a very sharp knife, then score in opposite direction (so it looks like a grid)

Remove batteries from smoke alarm, and open window

Bung breasts in frying pan, fat side down.

NOW THE VERY IMPORTANT BIT, POUR OFF EXCESS FAT INTO A SMALL HEAT-PROOF BOWL (YOU WILL HAVE TO DO THIS AT LEAST 3 TIMES).

When the fat side starts to look good and crispy (about 6 minutes) turn the breast over (pour off excess fat) and cook the other side for a few minutes.

As soon as the breasts looks nicely browned bung them on one of the prewarmed plates in the oven, and turn the hob down a little.

Pour off excess fat, leaving a little in the pan for the sauce.

Add a good slug of orange liquor/brandy and let this reduce a little

Add a good dollop of honey and stir until mixed

Add the orange zest and stir.

Remove  breasts from oven, pour over sauce and serve... yum

 

[Teamedup]

It is the not getting the fat all over the kitchen that got me. That will be the hardest thing about the meal. I found spots of fat on the far wall of the kitchen once, behind where I stand to cook and about 3 metres away and that was with the hotte on.

The rest, well, I agree with the other posters, I've tried it all ways including using vin de noix along with the honey and a few walnuts thrown in the sauce when it is done. It really is easy to cook, it is just messy.

[SaligoBay]

How many breasts per person would you recommend?   Or should I say how many people per breast?

And when you serve it to guests, do you put the whole breasts on a dish, or slice them first, or what?   I have guests tomorrow night, not that I'm feeling panicky or anything, my German lesson today has left my brain too numb for that

Onwards and upwards.  Any duck-nork advice appreciated. 

[Teamedup]

I cut those dinky little slices at an angle like they do in restaurants.

edit

Normally get six slices to a breast and mainly people say enough when I put four on their plates. So it works out around 2 breasts for three people. HOWEVER, I do keep a couple or so spare breasts in the fridge just in case, they don't take long to cook and if I don't use them, then I freeze them for us to have later.

[SaligoBay]

Thank you. 

[Kazanton]

Fantastic recipe and sounds dead easy. I have house guests next week so will do the Duck à l'Orange!

What do you serve with it? I'm thinking rice pilaf and haricot vert... maybe carrot/ginger soup to start... baked apples and custard for afters... hmmm...

[Dick Smith]

Also works nicely if you score the skin side in diamond shapes and fry (dry in a heavy pan) to brown and reduce the fat content - as Kathy describes. Then cook the meat side for a few minutes and into a hot oven to cook a bit more - until still rare, no more. Then empty out the fat (there will be a lot) and deglaze the pan with Crème de Cassis, reduce and pour over as sauce, with some blackcurrants added if you can get them. Slice diagonally before serving and add the juices back into the sauce.

[Trishaa<P><FONT face="Comic Sans MS"><EM>Trisha<EM><FONT><P><P><IMG height=198 src="http:www.gifmania.co.ukDisneyWinniejpoohlef.gif" width=133><P><P> <P>]

mmmm.. that version sounds wonderful I must give that a try.  I will have to look out for some frozen blackcurrants.  I wonder if you could also use a good blackcurrant conserve as well.  Is it just me - I've never been able to find blackcurrant jam in any French supermarkets - even the biggies like Le Clerc and Auchan.  I thought that living in Burgundy with all the casis they would have branched out into jams as well!

Trisha

[0BRIAN WOODHEADI,m here in franceddMMyyyy0Falseen-USI,m here in franceTrue]

I`m a leg man myself but would think that there would be more fat from a leg.

[JayJay]

Thanks for all the recipes guys, they sound great! Just one other thing, don't forget to keep the drained off fat for your roasted tatties. Mmmmmm lovely! Cheers JayJay

[LisaJ]

Try griddling the duck breasts, keep them warm, then deglaze the pan with brandy, add a few dollops of cream or creme fraiche (full fat, don't mess with half fat), some green peppercorns, reduce it a bit and dollop over the duck. A simple potato dish and a green salad are all you need.

regards

Lisa J

[Dick Smith]

That's a good one - also works well with pork chops etc.