Pan-Seared Duck Breast

A duck breast started skin-side down in a cold pan so its fat renders slowly into a shatteringly crisp, golden skin, while the meat stays rosy and tender like a good steak. No added fat is needed — the duck renders its own — and you're left with a pan of liquid gold worth saving for roasting potatoes. Serve it sliced with a fruit-forward sauce.

Serves 2

Ingredients

• 2 duck breasts
• Salt and pepper
• Plum Sauce, for serving (see Part 8)

Pan-Frying

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Browning Food and Building a Sauce→

Method

Render the skin

Pat the duck breasts dry, score the skin in a shallow crosshatch pattern, cutting through the fat but not into the meat, and season both sides generously with salt and pepper. Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold skillet, set the pan over medium heat, and cook, pouring off excess fat as it renders, until the skin is deeply browned and crisp, 5–6 minutes.

Finish and serve

Increase the heat to medium-high, flip the breasts, and cook the flesh side for 1–2 minutes, until the internal temperature reaches 130°F for medium-rare. Remove the duck from the pan and rest 5–10 minutes, then slice across the grain and serve with Plum Sauce.

Pairs with: Plum Sauce (see Part 8)