Duck breast has a reputation as restaurant food, but it’s one of the easiest proteins to cook well at home. The trick is counterintuitive: start it skin-side down in a cold pan and keep the heat low. The fat renders out slowly, basting the meat as it goes, and the skin turns thin, golden and shatter-crisp. Fifteen minutes of patience is all it asks.
What duck needs after that is something to cut through all that richness, and that’s where Smoked Muhammara earns its place. The balsamic brings the acidity a cherry or orange sauce usually would, without the sugar. The toasted walnuts echo the roasty skin, and the smoked red peppers give every slice a quiet smokiness. Swoosh it across the plate, fan the duck over the top, and the sauce is done.
Ingredients
Duck
• 2 duck breasts, skin on, about 300 to 350 g (10 to 12 oz) each
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
• Pinch of Chinese five-spice (optional)
To finish
• ½ cup Fume-eh Smoked Muhammara, at room temperature
• ¼ cup (30 g) walnut halves
• A few sprigs flat-leaf parsley or mint, leaves picked
• ½ lemon
• Flaky sea salt and good olive oil
Method
1. Prep the duck. Pat the breasts very dry. Score the skin in a tight crosshatch, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Season both sides with the salt, pepper and five-spice and let them sit at room temperature for 20 minutes.
2. Toast the walnuts. In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the walnuts for 3 to 4 minutes until fragrant. Roughly chop and set aside.
3. Render the skin. Lay the breasts skin side down in a cold, dry skillet. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook for 12 to 15 minutes, pouring off the rendered fat every few minutes, until the skin is deep golden and crisp and most of the fat has rendered out.
4. Finish the meat. Flip and cook 1 to 3 minutes on the flesh side, until the thickest part reads 57°C (135°F) for medium-rare.
5. Rest. Move the duck to a board, skin side up, and rest for 8 minutes.
6. Plate. Spoon the muhammara onto each plate and drag it into a wide swoosh with the back of the spoon. Slice the duck on a slight bias and fan it over the top. Finish with the walnuts, herbs, a squeeze of lemon, flaky salt and a thread of olive oil.
Chef’s notes
• Keep the fat: Strain the rendered duck fat into a jar and refrigerate. It’s the best thing you’ll ever roast potatoes in.
• Keep the duck simple: Skip sweet glazes like orange or cherry. The muhammara is the sauce.
• Doneness: Duck breast is traditionally served pink. Health Canada’s guideline for poultry is 74°C (165°F), so cook it further if you prefer.
• Pairing: Roasted fingerlings or a bitter-leaf salad, and a Pinot Noir or BC Gamay.
• Allergens: Contains walnuts (tree nuts).
Made in small batches in Burnaby, BC, the way we’d want it made for our own table.