The perfect seared duck breast

[apathetic]

Good point, actually making duck breast some time next week. Will try it again

 

[ChefCosta]

The duck that you start out with is the most important factor. If you are using Moulard Duck breast, aka Magret (a hybrid breed used for Foie Gras), don't bother. They have super thick skin because they get so fat. In my experience this skin never gets totally crispy (like you can hear it when you eat it crispy). I would recommend using this kind of duck breast for a salt cured Duck Ham and not much else. The legs of Moulard, on the other hand, are a different story. If you can get past the idea of the occasional broken leg from the weight of the duck they make the best confit. When you salt cure Magret the skin melts in your mouth like lardo. If you want crispy skin, use Muscovy. It is way more expensive and the meat is thinner but the skin gets crispy much faster. Start with a cold duck breast (cryo freezing is effective but but not really worth the trouble) Score it with the knife at a 15 degree angle to the skin (so you don't pierce it too deeply) and control your heat. D'artagnan has a new breed called Rohan that is excellent as well, but I really like Muscovy.

 

[zoze]

In germany you would find Barbarie-Duck more often then Muscovy. Though it seems Barbarie is just the domesticated variety of Muscovy I'm wondering if you got some experience with those, too?
Are they different in terms of quality?

The duck that you start out with is the most important factor. If you are using Moulard Duck breast, aka Magret (a hybrid breed used for Foie Gras), don't bother. They have super thick skin because they get so fat. In my experience this skin never gets totally crispy (like you can hear it when you eat it crispy). I would recommend using this kind of duck breast for a salt cured Duck Ham and not much else. The legs of Moulard, on the other hand, are a different story. If you can get past the idea of the occasional broken leg from the weight of the duck they make the best confit. When you salt cure Magret the skin melts in your mouth like lardo. If you want crispy skin, use Muscovy. It is way more expensive and the meat is thinner but the skin gets crispy much faster. Start with a cold duck breast (cryo freezing is effective but but not really worth the trouble) Score it with the knife at a 15 degree angle to the skin (so you don't pierce it too deeply) and control your heat. D'artagnan has a new breed called Rohan that is excellent as well, but I really like Muscovy.

 

[apathetic]

The duck that you start out with is the most important factor. If you are using Moulard Duck breast, aka Magret (a hybrid breed used for Foie Gras), don't bother. They have super thick skin because they get so fat. In my experience this skin never gets totally crispy (like you can hear it when you eat it crispy). I would recommend using this kind of duck breast for a salt cured Duck Ham and not much else. The legs of Moulard, on the other hand, are a different story. If you can get past the idea of the occasional broken leg from the weight of the duck they make the best confit. When you salt cure Magret the skin melts in your mouth like lardo. If you want crispy skin, use Muscovy. It is way more expensive and the meat is thinner but the skin gets crispy much faster. Start with a cold duck breast (cryo freezing is effective but but not really worth the trouble) Score it with the knife at a 15 degree angle to the skin (so you don't pierce it too deeply) and control your heat. D'artagnan has a new breed called Rohan that is excellent as well, but I really like Muscovy.

That's great info, thanks!

 

[ChefCosta]

I haven't been to Germany in years and have never cooked duck there. My understanding is that Barbary and Muscovy are different names for the same breed. What makes the skin crisp nicely is that it is relatively thin, at least on the American birds. That being said I am sure that there are variances in feed, age at slaughter, aging process, etc in Germany vs. what we do in the US. Only way to find out is to try it out.

 

[kpeddie2010]

What i normally do is like most of you but i like to prep my duck before cooking it. i usually lightly salt the skin of the duck and let the duck rest naked on a resting rack in the refer.. this draws out moisture in the fat before u cook and it drains. also i like stainless steel pan starting from cold and i render fat for about 10 mins on lowest heat possible. take it out of the pan and allow it to come to room temp. reserve fat for later use. next i dust skin with baking soda . when i need to pick up i start from cold pan and bring to low heat when fat begins to render roughly 8 - 10 mins i bring to medium heat and then i begin to baste every 30 seconds or so. and baste roughly 5 times or 2.30 mins and then i put into a 420 degree oven to bring up to desired temp . while duck rest i let it hang upside down (skin side down) vertical using the side of the hotel pan and then serve after it has rested to temp.. usually a few mins in the oven bring it to mid rare and a 3 min rest not under any lamp does the trick.

 

[CoqaVin]

never heard of the baking soda trick or the hang up side down trick what is the point of them

I assume the baking soda gives it a nice crisp skin

 

[NotSwedishChef]

I use Crescent's...thin skin, the right size for us. The Rohan was cool, we got a few samples in this past winter but they were big....way too large for our needs.

Cold pan, super low flame, don't crowd the pan. Dump the fat (save it) as it renders out.....its more about looking for the correct end-result as opposed to time for rendering. Finish in a low-oven and than allow to rest to your final target temp.

We use well-seasoned black steel pans....but you can get the same result in stainless or cast iron.

The other thing that people miss, is the prep of the breast itself. Often you have an uneven fat cap, go back and trim and even the thickness out so the end result is much more consistent.

I've never found the need to use baking soda to help achieve crispness. I know many people do......

 

[kpeddie2010]

Like when resting a steak it is proper to rest it on both sides as heat and steam travel upward. u want to have the steam rst toward the meat side of the duck since it cooked on the skin side much longer. So u get even heat distribution when cooking. Sinced u crisp up the skin with baking soda the skin will stay crisp while resting even tho some of the juice of the meat will run down since resting skin side down. The purpose of baking soda is so the skin stays crisp during the resting time and time it takes to get to the table. Not to acheive a real crisp skin but the skin will stay crisp longer through out the eating time giving the guest a crisp skin throughout the entire meal.

 

[jamaster14]

Like when resting a steak it is proper to rest it on both sides as heat and steam travel upward. u want to have the steam rst toward the meat side of the duck since it cooked on the skin side much longer. So u get even heat distribution when cooking. Sinced u crisp up the skin with baking soda the skin will stay crisp while resting even tho some of the juice of the meat will run down since resting skin side down. The purpose of baking soda is so the skin stays crisp during the resting time and time it takes to get to the table. Not to acheive a real crisp skin but the skin will stay crisp longer through out the eating time giving the guest a crisp skin throughout the entire meal.

i dont think the baking soda will help the original issue, as getting a crispy skin isnt the problem, rendering all the fat is. i get very crispy skin and a perfectly well done piece of meat. unfortunately what i also get is a thin layer of unrendered fat which ruins everything

I had a restaraunt for over 8 years. duck being a favorite of mine i tried ot put it on the menu several times, and never got a seared breast on the menu cause i couldnt execute it... it always ended up with confit dark meat and then removing the skin of the breasts i didnt cook right chilling and slicing the breast meat and serving it on a sandwich.

maybe it was the product itself, but i hate to blame the product for such a poor result.