Juicy Duck Breast with Orange Balsamic Sauce and Silky Cauliflower Purée

Ingredients

• 2 duck breasts
• 2.5 cloves garlic (Lightly crushed; for the duck)
• salt (For seasoning the duck; amount not specified)
• 2 tbsp black balsamic vinegar
• 2 oranges (Use the juice and peel)
• 1 cup homemade chicken stock
• 2 tbsp honey
• salt (For the sauce; amount not specified)
• 2 tbsp cold butter (For finishing the sauce)
• 2 tbsp butter (For the cauliflower purée)
• 1 tbsp garlic (Minced; for the purée)
• 3 bay leaves
• 300 g cauliflower (Chopped)
• salt (A pinch, for the purée)
• 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
• 1 cup thickened cream

Steps

1. 1

   Melt the butter for the purée in a pan. Add the chopped cauliflower, minced garlic, bay leaves, and a pinch of salt. Sauté until the cauliflower is soft.

2. 2

   Pour in the white wine vinegar to deglaze the pan. Add the thickened cream and simmer until it has reduced slightly.

3. 3

   Remove the bay leaves. Blend the cauliflower mixture until smooth, then pass it through a fine sieve for a silky texture. Set the purée aside.

4. 4

   Score the duck skin in a crosshatch pattern, taking care not to cut into the meat. Season the duck generously with salt.

5. 5

   Place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold pan. Turn the heat to medium and render the fat slowly for about 5 minutes, until the skin is deeply golden and crisp.

6. 6

   Flip the duck breasts. Add the lightly crushed garlic and baste the duck with the rendered fat for 1–2 minutes.

7. 7

   Transfer the pan to an oven preheated to 160°C and cook the duck for 5–10 minutes, depending on thickness.

8. 8

   Remove the duck from the oven and rest it for 5–7 minutes before slicing.

9. 9

   Pour excess fat from the pan. Add the black balsamic vinegar to the pan and deglaze it.

10. 10

    Add the orange peel and juice, chicken stock, honey, and salt to the pan. Simmer until the sauce reduces to a glossy, poolable consistency.

11. 11

    Take the pan off the heat and whisk in the cold butter.

12. 12

    Spoon the cauliflower purée onto plates. Top with sliced duck and generously spoon the orange-balsamic sauce over the duck.

Notes

Cook and sauce reduction times are only partly specified; the source gives no exact duration for reducing the sauce or for sautéing the cauliflower. Duck cooking time depends on breast thickness.

Nutrition per serving

• main
• duck
• crispy-skinned
• oven-finished
• gluten-free
• contains dairy
• citrus