Duck Breast in Orange Sauce – a Way to Appreciate Duck Meat Even More
Do you also have a feeling that duck meat is a bit underrated and underutilised? It might be due to the fact there are many more recipes for other types of poultry and meat. Or because somehow the other types of meat are more readily available at shops. Or maybe because people don’t like the higher fat content of duck.
When it comes to me, I have had a similar approach. When I think about a quick, non-vegetarian recipe, it is chicken that comes to my mind immediately. There are simply so many different dishes that I can prepare with chicken breasts or legs. Additionally, roast chicken with all the trimmings is always perfect for a simple yet pretty festive meal.
However, when you ask people what is tastier, chicken or duck, the majority of them will choose the duck. And that’s true – duck meat is richer and more flavourful. Moreover, it is very nutritious since it contains generous amounts of selenium, iron, niacin, phosphorous, riboflavin, pantothenic acid and Vitamin B12. And luckily the higher fat content is true only of whole duck but not of leg meat or skinless breasts. So maybe it is time to cook meals with duck more often?
Duck Breast in Orange Sauce – a Delicious (and Easier to Prepare) Alternative to Duck à l’Orange
I always thought that preparing duck requires more work or that it is not as versatile as chicken. That is why my repertoire has been very limited. I make Peking Duck, and after I have discovered how easy and convenient it was, nowadays I prepare it quite regularly. I have also cooked a few times classic French Duck à l’Orange. It is delicious, but the amount of orange liquor I had to use for the sauce always made me think it was a meal for special occasions.
But since we liked it so much, I decided to make an easier and faster but equally delicious Duck Breast in Orange Sauce. For this recipe, I use breasts only (no need to carve). I fry them briefly at first just to create a crispy skin, and then I put them into the oven for 10 minutes. In the meantime, I prepare the orange sauce with a bit of liquor and a salad with oranges and pomegranate seeds. And that’s it: beautiful Duck Breast in Orange Sauce ready in approx. 30 minutes.
Duck Breast in Orange Sauce with Pomegranate Salad
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts (with skin)
- 1 tsp oil
- 150 ml orange juice preferably freshly squeezed
- 25 ml orange liquor
- 1 orange filleted
- 1 pomegranate (seeds)
- 50 g rucola
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp pomegranate molasses
- 1 tbsp pomegranate juice (you can use the juice that collects after deseeding the pomegranate)
- salt and pepper.
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 180C.
- Rub a bit of salt and pepper into the duck breasts, slit the skin diagonally (this will allow the fat to melt while frying).
- Pour 1 tsp oil in a frying pan, heat it up and fry the duck breasts (skin down) on a high heat for 5 minutes (without turning).
- Put the frying pan with the breasts to the hot oven for 8-10 minutes. When done, cover the frying pan with a lid and let the duck rest for a few minutes.
- In a small pot boil the orange juice for 7 - 10 minutes till it reduces by half. Add the orange liquor and simmer for 2-3 minutes, season.
- Make the dressing by mixing the olive oil, pomegranate molasses and juice, season.
- In a bowl stir the rucola, fillets of orange, pomegranate seeds and the dressing.
- Slice the duck breasts and serve with the orange sauce and the salad.
