Description
Learn how to cook crispy skin duck breast perfectly with a simple stovetop to oven method that renders the fat and crisps the skin beautifully while keeping the meat tender and juicy.
Ingredients
Scale
Duck Breast
- 1 duck breast, boneless, skin on
- 1/8 tsp cooking salt or kosher salt
- Pinch white pepper (substitute with finely ground black pepper)
Instructions
- Preheat the oven: Preheat your oven to 180°C (350°F), or 160°C if using a fan-forced oven, to prepare for finishing the duck breast after stovetop searing.
- Prepare the duck breast: Sprinkle half of the salt and pepper over the flesh side of the duck breast. Turn the breast skin-side up and use a sharp knife to score 5 or 6 diagonal slashes into the skin without cutting into the flesh or all the way through the edges. Pat the skin dry thoroughly with paper towels and sprinkle the remaining salt and pepper evenly over the skin.
- Start cooking in a cold pan: Place an oven-proof pan on the stovetop but do not heat it yet. Lay the duck breast skin-side down in the cold pan with no oil added, as the fat will render naturally. To keep the skin flat for even crisping, place another pan or weight on top of the duck breast gently.
- Sear the skin: Turn the stovetop burner to medium-low and cook the duck breast for 10 minutes. During this time, the skin will become golden and crispy while the fat renders out, cooking the duck in its own delicious fat.
- Finish in the oven: Flip the duck breast so the flesh side cooks down and sear for 1 minute on the stovetop. Then transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Roast for 6 minutes for medium rare (internal temperature 54°C /130°F) or 8 minutes for medium doneness (60°C /140°F), according to your preference.
- Rest the duck: Remove the duck breast from the oven and transfer it to a rack or plate. Let it rest for 5 minutes to allow juices to redistribute before slicing or serving whole.
Notes
- Use a sharp knife for scoring to avoid cutting into the duck flesh. The scoring helps the fat render and skin become crisp without shrinking.
- Cooking skin-side down in a cold pan allows the fat to render slowly and evenly, preventing burning.
- No additional oil is needed as the duck renders plenty of fat during cooking.
- Resting after cooking is crucial to juicy, tender meat.
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Cook Time: 18 minutes
- Category: Main Course
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: French
Keywords: duck breast, crispy skin, pan seared duck, oven roasted duck, duck recipe, main course duck
