Seared Duck Breast with Figs - Magret de Canard Aux Figues!
This french style recipe is quick easy and simple to make and is super flavourful!
Equipment
- Cast iron pan (oven proof)
- Frying pan
- Chopping board
- Sharp knife
- Collander
- Lidded pot
- Potato peeler
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts
- ½ tsp Chinese five spice
- 2 tbsp shaoshing wine
- salt
- pepper
- 1 cup green beans
- 4 maris piper potatoes
Fig Sauce
- 4 figs
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp shaoshing wine
- 1 tsp white wine vinegar
- salt
- pepper
- duck fat
Instructions
Seared Duck Breast
- Heat the oven to 200°C. Wash and dry your duck breast thoroughly. Score the duck skin in a crosshatch pattern.
- Season the duck with five spice powder, shaoshing wine, rice vinegar, salt and pepper. Leave to marinate for 1 hour minimum. This is optional season with slat pepper and Chinese 5 spice if you have it but are not marinating.
- Heat an oven proof pan on medium heat and add the duck breast skin side down into the cold pan. Cook for 7-8 minutes before turning to brown the bottoms.
- Remove any excess fat and set aside for later. Wash and cut your figs into quarters and add to your duck pan.Transfer to your pre-heated oven at 200C and roast for 6-8 minutes (depending on size) for medium-rare.
- Remove from pan and cover with foil and set aside to rest for 10 minutes, then slice.
Sweet Fig Sauce
- Remove figs pan and in the same pan on medium heat, sauté shallots until soft and then add shaoshing wine and white wine vinegar and allow to cook off - about 2 minutes.
- Add 1 tbsp of honey, salt and pepper to taste and stir until combined.
- Add the figs back in and a little duck fat and bring to a medium boil. Taste before removing from heat.
Sautéed Potatoes and Green Beans
- Peel the potatoes and cut into quarter size pieces. Do this by cutting lengthways in half and then width ways.
- Put the potatoes in a large pan of lightly salted cold water, bring to the boil and simmer for about 6 minutes or until tender to the point of a knife.
- Drain and cool, then gently shake to rough up the edges
- OPTION 1 - Toss in goose fat and roast for 40 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 200°C;
- OPTION 2 - Fry in 4 tbsp oil until golden and crisp.
- While frying or baking your potatoes steam or boil some green beans to your taste I do this for 5-7 or until easily pierced with a fork.
- Drain the beans and toss with a little unsalted butter and some salt and pepper to your taste.
Notes
TIPS -
- You must dry your duck skin properly to achieve crispy skin. I use kitchen roll to dry my duck completely.
- Marinate your duck for at least 1 hour for deeper penetration.
- Duck is very flavourful on its own so if you dont have the shaoshing wine you can miss it out and simply use the Chinese 5 spice, salt and pepper.
- Pre-heat your oven and only put the duck in once the oven has reached temperature.
- Use a sharp knife to score the duck to make your life much easier. You will struggle with a blunt knife.
- Hold the knife at a slight angle away from you to cut through the skin with ease.