Simple Szechuan Duck Breast in Plum Sauce
This pan-fried duck breast with plum sauce recipe is a play on classic combinations; it is quick to cook, and it is always a crowd-pleaser.
Szechuan Duck Breast
If you spend any time digging around my site, you will discover that I have a thing for duck.
I think it is a beautiful meat, it has so much flavour and versatility, and it is also very underused.
My whole roast duck recipe has featured as my Christmas Day meal on many occasions.
I also make a duck ragu for pasta, and I use the confit legs to make fancy duck bonbons, I even have a duck stir fry and duck curry.
Oh yeah, burgers, I make duck burgers too.
Yes, I am obsessed!
But the way we eat it the most often is some form of simply pan-cooked duck breast.
This version uses Szechuan peppercorns and a bit of Chinese five-spice.
Couple that with my homemade plum sauce and you have a fancy meal that is far simpler than those you serve it to will believe!
Buying and Cooking Duck Breast
First of all, all of my recipes for duck breast use farmed duck. Wild duck is great, but requires a little more experience and understanding to buy.
Farmed duck is a great product; it is consistent and tastes wonderful. Look for breasts that are around 175-225g in size with a nice thick layer of fat under the skin.
Then you want to bring it up to temperature before cooking; this is important!
The next step is to score the meat; you want to work in a crosshatch pattern about 1cm apart.
You can see how to do this and cook the duck breast in my Duck a l'Orange video above. The flavours are different, but the technique is identical.
Season the breast and then into a cold pan... Yes, a COLD pan and turn on the heat, you want a medium to low temperature, and let it sit for 12-15 minutes.
Do not touch, do not mess with it for at least 7 or 8 minutes, then all you want to do is drain off the fat. Of course, you keep it for roast potatoes!
Finally, flip and cook for the last 5 minutes.
Most importantly, buy a meat thermometer; they do not cost much and will make you a better cook!
Stick the probe of the thermometer into the thickest part of the breast and remove 3-4 degrees below the target temperature.
The duck will continue to cook whilst it rests.
Cook your duck how you like it, I ain't gonna tell you what is right or wrong, your dinner is yours to enjoy!
- Rare: 57°C
- Medium: 62°C
- Well Done: 67°C
If you are cooking it to well done, I would transfer it to an oven at 180°C or 350°F after flipping the duck to finish cooking. It will take another 10-12 minutes.
Szechuan Duck Breast in Plum Sauce
Ingredients
- 2 Duck Breasts
- 1 Medium Onion 150g
- 1 teaspoon Szechuan Pepper Corns
- ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
- ¼ teaspoon Coarse Sea Salt
- 6 Black Peppercorns
- 125 ml Plum Sauce ½ Cup
Instructions
- Cut a cross-hatch pattern into the skin of the duck breast. This should be at 1cm (just under ½") intervals, and be careful not to cut through to the flesh.
- Crush the Szechuan peppercorns, Chinese five spice, sea salt and black pepper in a spice grinder or in a pestle and mortar.
- Rub this into the duck breast, paying special attention to the skin side, rubbing it into the slashes.
- Place the duck skin-side down into a cold pan and then turn on the heat to medium to low. Allow the duck to sit for 12-15 minutes, draining off the fat after 7-8.
- Whilst the duck is cooking, peel the onion and cut off the top and the roughest part of the root. Then cut the onion into 8 wedges.
- After the duck has had 10-12 minutes, flip the duck and allow it to cook for a further 5 minutes or so.Remove the duck from the pan and tent under foil and rest for 5-6 minutes.
- Drain most of the fat from the duck pan and return to a high heat.
- Add the onion wedges to the hot pan and sear for 90 seconds on each side.
- Pour over the plum sauce and allow to bubble for a minute or two.
- Slice the duck and add any resting juices into the sauce and stir, then serve.
Hi, can you just advise on how to - and for how long you can - keep the plum sauce please. We have a damson tree so assume I can substitute them for the plums...
It depends how you want to store it Barbara. I tend to freeze it and I've consumed it up to 3 months after freezing and it was as good as the day that it went in the freezer.
I have kept it fresh in the fridge for a week to 10 days with no signs of degradation and I have played around with decanting it into steralised hot jars and adding a lid whilst hot, this worked well and I have used it up to 6 months after doing this. Although this is not in line with guidelines on canning so it is at your own risk.
I am making this today. My sauce is now simmering and I have put my spic rub onto my duck breasts. My son always has duck in plum sauce from the Chinese take away, but it usually comes in a pineaaple sauce. I am hoping he likes this as he is really fussy. I will let you know.
Enjoy 🙂
.... drool...... This looks amazing!! The duck looks moist and delicious, the sauce to die for.. absolute perfection!!
Thanks Heather it really was a triumph on all levels.
I have tried before to cook duck and each and every time was a disaster. I am hoping next time will redeem myself following your recipe! Loving the plum sauce addition
I hope you nail it this time, cooking the breast on it's own is a little easier than a whole duck, the main thing to do is avoid over cooking as it can become tough very quickly.
That duck looks just right. I love how crispy the skin is!
Thank you Richa 🙂
Fantastic ! I love the flavor profile you have going on, the plum thing is really something !
Thanks Florentina, the plum sauce is one of our favourite preserves, a really versatile treat that gets lots of outings over winter.
The duck looks so tempting. Great advice on the meat temperature.
Thanks Faye.
o.m.g. savior!! I cannot find any good Szechuan in my new neighborhood in New York. I miss this style of Chinese food. Definietly trying this one, Brian!!
Ha ha, we have to travel 320km (round trip) for good Chinese food so making it at home is a much better option 😉
thanks for this primer, Brian. It may be just the nudge that I need to summon the courage to try this duck preparation; one of Scott's favorite dishes!
Cheers Dan, duck does seem intimidating but it really is very easy to cook with so long as you do not over cook, if that happens I find it gives your jaw too much of a work out... I hope Scott enjoys as much as we did!
Wow, that looks delicious. I have only had duck in a restaurant and never thought of trying it myself. You make it look easy.
Thanks Melanie, it really is very simple, duck does not really take a lot more work than chicken although if it is overdone it can be pretty hard going on the gnashers 🙂
That plum sauce looks so good and the duck look perfectly seared. Great combination.
Thanks Molly, it works for us 🙂
Oh my goodness! I am drooling right now! Holy moly plum sauce yum! 🙂
Ha ha, I like it when that happens 😀
This looks awesome! I order duck when I go out a lot, but have never made my own. Your delicious looking photos have inspired me to give it a go! I'm saving this recipe for later!
Thanks Rachel, I love cooking with duck although don't do it nearly often enough!
WOW! I'm drooling over this juicy duck breast! Duck is so flavorful, especially with that crispy skin. The homemade plum sauce sounds so good too! Gotta try this soon! By the way, your photos are stunning!
Thank you very much, duck really is a wonderful meat that is woefully underused, I am just as guilty of that as anyone and I really do mean to use it more often.
That duck looks delicious! Wonderful recipe!
Thanks Chris 🙂
I love duck and this plum sauce sounds amazing with it!
Thanks Patti, it certainly is good, I am trying to cook with duck more as it is readily available and affordable out here.
I saw the plum sauce recipe the other day but had no idea what I would do with it. Love the look of this dish!
I love plum sauce we use it in everything from glazes for meat all the way through to dipping cheese in 😀
Wowzers! Your duck looks mouthwatering awesome! My husband loves duck and I am starting to like it... just looking at your photos makes me love it! And your plum sauce...yum!
Thank Cassandrea, duck does seem to be somewhat of an acquired taste not sure why as it is fairly mild in flavour unless it is wild but it is certainly not served very often so think it is a bit of an unknown... Enjoy the plum sauce 😀
one word: #gourmet!
Two words, Thank You 😀 🙂
I did miss that plum sauce recipe ;), but you made me curious to try, so saved that one! I love duck, but I never cooked/roasted it myself. I'm gonna try it, but first I got to find a decent meat thermometer.
Thanks Niels, meat thermometers are pretty much all the same, a digital one does help with instant readings and they are pretty cheap but I find them invaluable.
I've only had duck a few times and have never cooked it, but it sure is good and your recipe looks amazing!!! Maybe I need to break out o my comfort zone and give it a try.
Thanks Renee, cooking with the breasts only is a really great introduction to cooking with duck as it is a really quick and tactile way of cooking and you can see and feel what is happening, a whole bird is a little more challenging. I hope you give it a go as it is a great piece of meat to break up the usual fare 🙂
This is beautiful. I have never cooked duck before. Thanks for sharing!
Glad to have suggested something new, hope you get to try it.
I've never tried to make duck -- this is definitely on my to do list. Thank you for sharing.
You are welcome Marisa, duck is wonderful to cook at home and if yo use only the breasts really very quick and simple too.
Gorgeous! As a small child we had duck every Christmas, it was not like this! This sounds and look so very appetizing. I have to try this for a date night in with my husband. This meal is made for music and soft lighting. 🙂
Hope you Enjoy Tina. When I was very young we used to have Goose at Christmas but that quickly migrated to Turkey but as there is only myself and my wife we often do a whole duck as it is a reasonable size and the duck legs after are great in a salad 🙂
This recipe has my husband's name all over it! He is a sucker for duck and plum sauce together - I'll have to make it for him!
Excellent, please let me know what he, and of course you, think of it 🙂
You know, I've never been a huge duck fan, but this recipe is making me re-think my stance on the fatty bird. I love crispy skin and szechaun. Making your own plum sauce sounds far more appetizing than getting it out of a plastic packet in the take-out bag. Oh boy, I could also think of a ton of things to do with the rendered duck fat!
Thanks Leslie don't get me started on duck fat, oh the roast potatoes 😉 The plum sauce is a real keeper and I always have jars of the stuff knocking around for everything from cheese sandwiches to grilled pork chops.
Brian, this dish looks absolutely stunning - not to mentioned cravable and mouth-watering. I'm sitting at my desk at work. It's 10:40am, and I'm now starving for duck. Good Lord, it looks phenomenal! Your recipes and photos are such an inspiration to newbies like me. Cheers!
Thank you so much Byron, I'm a newbie too, I only started in April and Food Styling is my nightmare at the moment and I never seem to be happy so your comments are gratefully recieved 🙂 I'm with you on the craving inappropriate foods in the morning though, I do a little bit of food surfing in the morning before breakfast and often find myself hankering after something that is definitely not appropriate at 7am 😮
I don't know why duck scares me to make because this looks so delicious and the plum sauce...YUM!
It definitely should not scare you but I can understand as it is a piece of meat that can turn pretty inedible and tough as old boots if it is over cooked, but get it right and it is delightful 🙂
I ate this once a long time ago, and now I know I have to have it again, thanks for the recipe, it looks amazing.
Life is such a bind Rosemary 😉 I hope you enjoy, it is something I do mean to cook much more often!
The duck has my mouthwatering. And that plum sauce...droooool. Makes me wish we had Duck here in Pakistan.
ha ha I'll trade you plenty of duck for some of your delicious lamb and mutton which is a real headache to find here in Hungary 😉
That duck looks beautiful. And so does your website. Nice work, man!
Cheers Mike, it is still fairly new so I am finding my feet a little, glad you like it 😀