Duck Breast with Red Wine, Soy, and Orange Sauce
With this recipe, I’ve blended some more characteristically Japanese flavours with a touch of French flair: duck infused with some orange zing against the delicate combination of soy sauce, mirin, and red wine (instead of sake) in the background. It’s a real fusion of flavours, marrying the best of East and West.
Ingredients
Duck Breast with Red Wine, Soy, and Orange Sauce
- 2 duck breasts
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice (100ml about half to one orange)
- 1/4 cup red wine (50ml)
- 1/4 cup mirin (50ml)
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (50ml)
- 1/4 tsp salt
Roast potatoes
- 6 small potatoes
- 1.5 tbsp olive oil (tbsp=15ml)
- 1/2 tsp salt
Instructions
Starting the Roast Potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C (fan-forced).
- Wash and pat dry the potatoes thoroughly.
- Place the potatoes in a roasting pan and coat with olive oil and salt.
- Roast for about 25 minutes (while the potatoes are roasting, the duck is cooked.)
Cooking the Duck Breasts:
- Pat dry the duck breasts and score 5 mm wide slits in the skin of the duck.Tip: Score the white skin only, so as not to cut through to the duck meat.
- Sprinkle with salt on both sides.
- Cut an orange in half, squeeze, and collect the juice.
- Add the orange juice to a saucepan over medium heat and simmer until the orange juice is reduced by around half and thickened (about 10-15 minutes)
- Add red wine and mirin in the saucepan and simmer for about 2 minutes.
- Add soy sauce in the saucepan and bring to a boil, then turn off the heat (leave aside for now).
- Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat without oil, then cook the duck skin-side down until golden brown (about 2–3 mins).Tip: Using tongs, check to make sure the duck breasts don't burn.
- Once a significant amount of duck oil is produced, carefully remove the excess oil and transfer it into a container.Tip: Duck oil solidifies as it cools, so pouring it down the sink can lead to blockages. It's best to collect it in a container, let it cool, and then dispose of it properly as solid waste.
- Brown the meat on all sides (about 1–2 mins).
- Place the duck skin-side down in the saucepan and simmer for 7 minutes, basting occasionally. Remove from the heat and let the duck rest for 10 minutes in the saucepan.Tip: The duck can be left to rest in the pan until ready to serve.
Finishing the Roast Potatoes, Making a Salad, and Plating the Duck:
- Mash the roast potatoes lightly and return to the oven for 10 minutes.Tip: A good mash with a wooden spoon will make them nice and crispy on the outside but soft and fluffy on the inside.
- (Prepare a salad: Click here for my delicious Rocket, Orange, Pear and Walnut Salad.)
- Turn the potatoes over and cook the other side for another 5 minutes.
- Slice the duck and arrange on plates, and dress with the liquid from the saucepan (the red wine, soy, and orange sauce)
- Serve with roast potatoes and salad.
- Enjoy!