How to Cook Duck Breast by Pan-Searing

Duck breast with crispy skin that hides a soft, juicy white interior is something to look forward to at your favorite restaurant. If you prefer to stay at home for safety reasons, it’s still possible to serve yourself a perfect plate of pan-seared duck breast. All you need is a stove, a cast-iron skillet and good quality duck breast.

To find top-quality duck breasts, you don’t have to look far. You can order a skin-on fresh duck breast from our product page. Why not order a few complementary ingredients as well, such as potato fries and sweet corn kernels, which go well together with various sauces and condiments?

The easy way for cooking duck breast on stove-top

You’ll need at least 150 grams or 5.5 oz of duck breast to serve one person. Prepare some salt and a sauce or other condiments of your choice – the latter is for your side dish and not necessary in the cooking process.

Step 1. Score the duck.

Gently cut 3 to 4 shallow cuts, straight and parallel to each other across the skin. Then make a few similar cuts on a perpendicular direction, making a cross-patch pattern. This allows the salt to enter the meat easily, and also allows thorough cooking. Do this for both sides of the breast.

Step 2. Season with salt.

Season with as much salt as you prefer. This recipe may call for one tablespoon of salt, but you may reduce the amount. Rest the duck for 30 minutes at room temperature. Don’t be afraid to leave the duck outside the refrigerator while resting it; the duck breast is still cold enough to process safely.

Step 3. Crisp the skin.

It’s important that you start on a cool (unheated) cast-iron skillet. The moment you turn on the stove, the duck skin will heat up slowly and the flavorful duck fat will render gently. The slow heating prevents the skin from being burnt, while the interior is being heated.

Step 4. Flip after 6 to 8 minutes.

You may occasionally check that the skin has a nice dark golden brown color. You can also use the tongs to check that the skin has hardened to crisp. When the conditions are met, you can flip the duck breast to sear the other side.

Step 5. Rest after 3 to 4 minutes.

Cook the other side for the final 3 to 4 minutes, and then remove from the pan. Let the duck breast rest for 3 minutes to allow the meat to reabsorb some of the fat on the surface. Meanwhile, you can boil the corn kernels and fry the potato fries to serve alongside the duck.

Step 6. Duck breast is served.

Once rested, slice the duck breast. Don’t forget to use the leftover duck fat on the pan. Drizzle or glaze the duck with the fat to add even more flavor.

Can’t wait to try out this recipe? Be sure to visit our product pages now to browse the best quality ingredients that you can get. Puri Pangan is one of Bali’s first cold-storage food distributors, trusted to deliver the best ingredients to hotels and restaurants; and now right to your doorstep.