duck breasts with honey and orange on a serving plate

Duck Breast with Honey & Oranges

Name: Duck Breast with Honey & Oranges
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 535 min
Ingredients: 2 Duck Breasts (4 pieces); 4 Oranges (either cara cara or navel); 3 T Soy Sauce; 2 T Olive Oil; 2 T Honey; 3 T Red Wine Vinegar; Salt & Pepper; ½ cup Moscato Wine; 2 T Butter (cold)

Ducks are fowl, but the strange thing is the breast meat has the texture more of red meat. So, for this recipe we marinated the meat in soy, orange juice, and vinegar and then sauté it, rendering out the fat to produce a crispy skin and cook it to medium rare, similar to cooking a piece of steak. We finish the dish with a beautiful pan sauce flavored with Moscato wine and garnish with orange sections. This dish is very elegant and sophisticated.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 30 mins

Cook Time 25 mins

Marinating Time 8 hrs

Total Time 8 hrs 55 mins

Ingredients

2 Duck Breasts 4 pieces
4 Oranges either cara cara or navel
3 T Soy Sauce
2 T Olive Oil
2 T Honey
3 T Red Wine Vinegar
Salt & Pepper
½ cup Moscato Wine
2 T Butter cold

Instructions

Zest one orange, then cut it in half and juice it. Measure out ½ cup of juice, and pour into a small bowl. Add the zest, set aside.
With the remaining 3 oranges, use a knife to cut off the top and bottom of the oranges.
Working from top to bottom, use your knife to remove the peel and the white membrane from the orange. Use your knife to make 2 small cuts to remove the flesh from each small section. Place into a bowl. Repeat with remaining oranges. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to make sauce.
Whisk in the soy sauce, oil, honey, and vinegar to the orange juice. Pour into a gallon-sized zip-lock bag, add the duck breasts, and seal. Marinate for 8 hours in the refrigerator.
Remove the duck breasts from the marinade. Reserve the marinade.
Pat the duck breasts dry with a paper towel.
With a knife, make several diagonal cuts/scores into the fat/skin side, making sure not to cut all the way though the meat.
Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper.
In a large sauté pan over medium heat, place the duck breasts fat/ skin side down. Cook until the fat melts and the skin browns, about 8-10 minutes.
Remove the duck breasts from the pan, placing them on a plate. Pour off the fat.
Return the duck breasts to the pan and cook skin side up for an additional 5-7 minutes for medium rare.
Remove the duck breasts from the pan and place on a platter. Cover loosely with foil and let rest while you make the sauce.
Pour off any remaining fat from the pan.
Add the wine to the pan. Deglaze the pan by stirring and scraping up any brown bits. Cook the sauce for 2-3 minutes so that it reduces slightly.
Add the reserved marinade, and turn the heat to high. Bring the sauce to a boil. Cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the sauce has slightly thickened.
Remove the sauce from the heat. Swirl in the cold butter. Season with salt and pepper. Add the orange sections.
Place the duck breasts on a cutting board. Pour any drippings that had collected on the platter into the sauce. Then, thinly slice the duck breast at an angle and place back on the platter. Drizzle some of the sauce on top of the meat. Serve extra sauce on the side. Serve immediately.