I love duck. I especially love Chinese-style roast duck. I enjoy the ritual of smearing a pancake with sauce, laying duck skin on the sauce, topping the meat with cucumber and scallions, and feeling the duck fat moisten my lips as I take my first bite.
But a whole duck is often too much. This was especially true when the girls were in college and we only saw them on weekends. Well, most weekends. So, one day, I was craving duck but not everyone was home to partake of a whole bird. A whole duck breast (there are two fillets in one breast) was the answer. Enough for two with no leftovers.
This is a seared-and-braised dish. For more details about the cooking process, see the linked post below.
How to sear and roast (or braise) duck breast fillet
Sear both sides of the fillet in a frying pan, pop into the oven and roast. Or add sauce after searing and braise in the oven or on the stovetop.
In this recipe, the duck breast fillets were seared in a regular pan. Skin side down initially to brown it and allow it to render fat. The fillets were flipped over and the opposite sides were seared as well.
Then, the braising began. Ginger and orange zest were added to the duck, white wine and orange juice were poured in, and the duck fillets cooked in the aromatic and tasty mixture until done.
About the pineapple and orange. Canned fruit or fruit juice will not work here. Canned pineapple is too sweet without the natural tanginess. Plus, you want the fruit to expel liquid in which the duck will braise. You can’t get that from canned pineapples. If you use the syrup from the can, the flavor of the braising liquid will taste flat.
And the orange? You need the orange zest to give the sauce the best orange-y flavor and aroma.
Pineapple orange duck in white wine sauce
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cut the duck breast meat vertically into two equal portions.
- Season liberally with salt and pepper.
- Zest the orange. You’ll need two textures — fine zest for garnish and larger pieces for cooking. Use a zester to get about half a teaspoonful of fine zest and a peeler to cut the remaining zest.
- Squeeze the orange juice.
- Peel and finely slice the ginger.
- Heat a frying pan (a cast iron pan is best).
- When hot, lay the duck breast halves side by side, skin side down. The skin will render fat so there’s no need to add oil.
- Cook over high heat until the skins are nicely browned, about three minutes.
- Flip to sear the opposite side, about two minutes.
- Add the ginger and the large pieces of orange zest. Cook until fragrant, about a minute.
- Pour in the white wine. Allow to boil, uncovered, for about three minutes.
- Pour in the orange juice.
- Add the pineapple tidbits.
- Lower the heat, cover and braise for 12 to 14 minutes.
- Scoop out the duck breast halves and pineapple tidbits, transfer to a plate and cover loosely. Allow to rest while you finish the sauce.
- Boil the sauce until reduced to about four tablespoonfuls.
- Take one duck breast half and slice thinly. Arrange on a plate. Do the same with the other half.
- Divide the pineapple tidbits and scatter beside or around the duck.
- Spoon some sauce over the duck and pineapples.
- Sprinkle the pineapple orange duck with cilantro and the fine orange zest before serving.
