Frying Duck Breast, Step by Step Cooking School and Kitchen Story with Tips

roast duck breast in the pan with herbs and garlic

Author:
Thomas Sixt is a chef, food photographer, cookbook author and blogger.
Here he shares recipes, answers cooking questions and helps with cooking.

The roasting of a duck breast is shown step by step in this article with many photos and tips. Who knows my blog and my Youtube videos, knows it long ago: For me there is nothing better than duck. Since my apprenticeship at Alfons Schuhbeck I love duck, prepared in any form. At the Saucier-Posten in the big Alfonskitchen I was allowed to fry ducks every day, to trigger them later and finally to prepare duck sauce. When the ducks are released in the late afternoon, there is always something delicious duck meat left for me. The preparation of a duck breast, at the photo a barbarian duck breast is to be seen, I show in this contribution in detail.

1. Fry the Duck Breast until crispy, that’s how it works!

A duck breast must be crispy and fine, in the case of a barbarian duck breast roasted pink on the plate. The barbarian duck breast is easy to recognize, it is usually sold individually vacuum-packed. This fine duck breast is highly appreciated because of its low fat content. The duck breast becomes crispy when roasted with two tricks:

First, the breast is incised on the skin side. This allows large parts of the fat to escape during roasting, which makes the skin crispy.
Secondly, plenty of salt and a longer frying process is needed on the skin side. The salt does not only season but also provides the crispy finish.

duck breast crispy fried on a cutting board — Crispy duck breast roasted to perfection.

Crispy roasted duck breast, fine and tasty looks that.

2. Frying Duck Breast, the Step by Step Guide

With these instructions, frying the duck breast is child’s play. I will show you how to prepare and prepare the duck breast step by step with photos. I wish you good luck!

3. Unpack the Duck Breast and prepare it for frying.

Buy the duck breast and pay attention to the expiry date. You can get the Barbarie duck breast at the poultry dealer and even in the supermarket. Hold the cold chain, especially in summer, the duck breast should quickly come back in the fridge when you come back from shopping.

Place the duck breast on a kitchen board and unpack. Barbarie duck breast is mostly vacuumed.

Dry the duck breast on kitchen paper from all sides. You can also wash the duck breast once under running cold water and then dry it.

Now clean the duck breast on the lower side and cut out the veins.

4. Cut the Duck Breast thinly and carefully in a Diamond Shape.

It is important to cut the duck breast skin so that the duck breast stays in shape during roasting and the duck fat can escape. In combination with salt, the duck breast is then crispy due to the direct heat.

Cut the duck breast carefully, not too deeply, on the skin side. You can do it diamond-shaped or according to your own idea.

5. Brown the Duck Breast in a Pan

Please preheat the pan well, I like to use a coated pan or as in the picture a small wok. Place the prepared duck breast with the skin side down in the hot pan.

Brown duck breast – professionals start with the skin side down. This allows fat to escape immediately and the skin becomes crispy.

Let the duck breast take some colour for a few minutes, then turn it once. In the pan you can already see the duck fat that has escaped. An extra fat addition for frying is not necessary.

6. How to make the Duck Breast crispy

I’m sure you’d like a crispy duck breast. Season the skin with salt and pepper. Tip: Do not spare with salt, please spice additionally beside the duck breast the duck fat, since you use this in the consequence for pouring over.

duck breast skin side with salt and pepper spices

Season the duck breast generously with salt and a little pepper. I prefer to use Ursalt – it’s healthier than normal salt.

ducks breast-over-molded with oil — Roasted duck breast until crispy … it tastes delicious! © Thomas Sixt Food Photographer

Slowly fry the duck breast over a reduced heat and pour over the resulting gravy and duck fat in the pan. Repeat this process several times!

For the taste you now put a peeled garlic clove and a thyme twig to the duck breast. Please continue to pour the fat over the duck breast several times.

7. Finish Roasting and Slicing the Duck Breast (Carving)

Depending on the thickness of the duck breast, it may be necessary to cook for 8-10 minutes with the lid on. Shortly before slicing, the duck breast is roasted again on the skin side at high heat until crispy. You can now let the duck breast rest for about 5 minutes in the pan next to the stove, or wrapped in aluminium foil, but this is not absolutely necessary for the slow preparation. Then carve and place on the plate. In another Kochwiki contribution I have my tips duck breast sauce summarized.

pink-crusty-roasted-duck-breast-sliced-edged

Use a very sharp knife to carve the roasted duck breast and set the knife at an angle.

pink roasted duck breast cut open — I’ll show you roast duck breast pink elsewhere in the cooking blog.

The carved duck breast, roasted pink, crispy skin, so the duck breast tastes delicious.

8. Let the Duck Breast rest and why slowly Roasting Duck Breast makes Sense!

Due to the slow cooking of the duck breast, it is not absolutely necessary to let the duck breast rest. After cutting, there is hardly any meat juice on the chopping board.

In the picture my carving board after cutting the roasted duck breast. There is almost no meat juice left behind here. So it is optimal!

9. Recipes with Duck Breast and further Articles

Want to whet your appetite? Clearly sorted all my recipes with duck breast (DE). Would you like a tasty sauce with duck breast? Visit the article duck breast sauce (DE) with different ideas for quick sauce preparation. Would you rather prepare your duck breast in the oven without roasting on the stove? This is what I show you in my article duck breast from the oven.