Five-Spice Duck Breast with Charred Plums and Sesame Greens
Duck breast sounds like a restaurant thing, but it is one of the easiest proteins to cook well at home. Here it gets a warm five-spice rub, a slow render in a cold pan until the skin turns glassy and crisp, and a sticky sauce of plums charred in the duck fat with honey and soy. Served over garlicky sesame greens and jasmine rice, it is a proper autumn dinner in 40 minutes.
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Nutrition (per serving)
Duck breast sounds like a restaurant thing, but it is one of the easiest proteins to cook well at home. Here it gets a warm five-spice rub, a slow render in a cold pan until the skin turns glassy and crisp, and a sticky sauce of plums charred in the duck fat with honey and soy. Served over garlicky sesame greens and jasmine rice, it is a proper autumn dinner in 40 minutes.
The whole trick is starting the duck skin-side down in a cold pan. As the pan heats, the thick layer of fat underneath the skin melts out slowly, basting the meat and leaving behind a shatteringly crisp crust instead of a chewy one. Do not pour that fat away: it is what gives the plums their dark, caramelised edges and the sauce its richness. Ripe but firm plums hold their shape best.
Step-by-step instructions
Pat the duck breasts very dry. With a sharp knife, score the skin in a tight crosshatch about 1 cm apart, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Rub all over with the five-spice and a generous pinch of salt.
Lay the duck skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet and set it over medium-low heat. Let the fat render slowly for 12 to 15 minutes, spooning off excess fat into a bowl as it pools, until the skin is deep golden and crisp. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more for pink, then rest on a board for 8 minutes.
Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the duck fat. Lay the plum halves cut-side down in the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes, untouched, until charred and caramelised. Add the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and star anise, and bubble for 2 minutes until the plums are just soft and the sauce is glossy and syrupy.
In a second pan, heat 1 tbsp of the reserved duck fat over high heat. Add the tenderstem broccoli and a splash of water, cover and steam-fry for 3 minutes, then uncover, add the sliced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Toss with the sesame oil and half the sesame seeds.
Slice the rested duck thickly on an angle. Spoon rice and greens onto plates, fan the duck over the top, then spoon over the charred plums and their sauce. Finish with the scallions and remaining sesame seeds.
Want to get ahead? Score and rub the duck up to a day in advance and leave it uncovered in the fridge, which dries the skin for an even crisper finish. Strain and keep the leftover duck fat in a jar: it makes the best roast potatoes you will ever eat.
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts (about 200 g each), skin on
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 4 ripe but firm plums, halved and stoned
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 star anise
- 250 g tenderstem broccoli
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 300 g cooked jasmine rice, to serve
- Flaky salt
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Step-by-Step
- 1
Pat the duck breasts very dry. With a sharp knife, score the skin in a tight crosshatch about 1 cm apart, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Rub all over with the five-spice and a generous pinch of salt.
- 2
Lay the duck skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet and set it over medium-low heat. Let the fat render slowly for 12 to 15 minutes, spooning off excess fat into a bowl as it pools, until the skin is deep golden and crisp. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more for pink, then rest on a board for 8 minutes.
- 3
Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the duck fat. Lay the plum halves cut-side down in the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes, untouched, until charred and caramelised. Add the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and star anise, and bubble for 2 minutes until the plums are just soft and the sauce is glossy and syrupy.
- 4
In a second pan, heat 1 tbsp of the reserved duck fat over high heat. Add the tenderstem broccoli and a splash of water, cover and steam-fry for 3 minutes, then uncover, add the sliced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Toss with the sesame oil and half the sesame seeds.
- 5
Slice the rested duck thickly on an angle. Spoon rice and greens onto plates, fan the duck over the top, then spoon over the charred plums and their sauce. Finish with the scallions and remaining sesame seeds.
Recipe
Five-Spice Duck Breast with Charred Plums and Sesame Greens
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts (about 200 g each), skin on
- 1 tsp Chinese five-spice powder
- 4 ripe but firm plums, halved and stoned
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 star anise
- 250 g tenderstem broccoli
- 2 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 300 g cooked jasmine rice, to serve
- Flaky salt
Instructions
- 1
Pat the duck breasts very dry. With a sharp knife, score the skin in a tight crosshatch about 1 cm apart, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Rub all over with the five-spice and a generous pinch of salt.
- 2
Lay the duck skin-side down in a cold, dry skillet and set it over medium-low heat. Let the fat render slowly for 12 to 15 minutes, spooning off excess fat into a bowl as it pools, until the skin is deep golden and crisp. Flip and cook 2 to 3 minutes more for pink, then rest on a board for 8 minutes.
- 3
Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the duck fat. Lay the plum halves cut-side down in the hot pan and cook for 3 minutes, untouched, until charred and caramelised. Add the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar and star anise, and bubble for 2 minutes until the plums are just soft and the sauce is glossy and syrupy.
- 4
In a second pan, heat 1 tbsp of the reserved duck fat over high heat. Add the tenderstem broccoli and a splash of water, cover and steam-fry for 3 minutes, then uncover, add the sliced garlic and cook 1 minute more. Toss with the sesame oil and half the sesame seeds.
- 5
Slice the rested duck thickly on an angle. Spoon rice and greens onto plates, fan the duck over the top, then spoon over the charred plums and their sauce. Finish with the scallions and remaining sesame seeds.
Nutrition Facts
* The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a serving of food contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.