Friday, November 14, 2014

FFWD - Pan Seared Duck Breasts with Oranges


French Fridays with Dorie this week quacks me up - it's Pan Seared Duck Breasts with Kumquats Oranges.  Apparently kumquats grow all year round, but I have never seen any where I shop.  Accordingly, as Dorie's inspiration for this dish was Duck a la Orange, oranges seemed like the natural substitution.

I have never cooked duck before either (umm, apparently I have for other FFWD dishes  but forgot!), but after having seen an ad featuring Justine Schofield cooking it, I was happy to give it a try.  However, I was not prepared for how expensive duck is - $18 for two breasts.  Ouch.

Cooking the duck, the candied oranges and the sauce were all easy enough.  As Dorie suggested, I cooked the candied oranges and sauce in the morning and cooked the duck in the evening.

The end result was really, really good.  Judging from the amount of fat that was on the duck and in the pan, it wasn't a low fat meal, but as a treat every now and again, it is worth it.  The oranges were the perfect foil for the richness of the duck, and the only change I would make would be to thicken the sauce slightly.

I served my duck with boiled mixed vegetables and microwaved baby potatoes.

To see what the other Doristas made of this dish, visit the LYL section of the website.

23 comments:

Catherine said...

Looks wonderful. Catherine

Adriana said...

The sauce could have been a little thicker for sure. It was delicious, even with the chicken thighs I used. and kudos for finally cooking duck. Dorie's duck recipes are all winners in my book.

~~louise~~ said...

I haven't had Duck in ages, Gaye! When I lived on Long Island in New York, we often had duck for dinner. (something about Long Island ducks being world famous) However, since moving to PA, I wouldn't dream of buying duck not only because it would be hard to come by and really expensive, but like you say, the grease can be quite over whelming. It is good every now and again though and yours looks just perfect! Now I'm wanting some duck:)

Thanks for sharing, Gaye...

Mardi Michels said...

Dorie;s duck recipes are winners, for sure!

Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella said...

That looks just like this amazing duck that we ate a few weeks ago in Corsica. Great job Cakelaw! :D

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Terrific duck debut for you! I think Mardi may have been the only one who found kumquats!

Gracie said...

I loved this recipe too! I have to say, 2 duck breasts were $30.00 at my grocery store, so I opted to buy a whole duck for $20.00 and butcher it myself.
Happy Friday!

KB from Prof Who Cooks said...

I agree with the sauce being a bit thin for my tastes. I actually did boil it down even more just before serving and it was still soupy. Looks great!

Arisuchan said...

your sauce seems a bit thinner than the rest I've seen this morning, but the duck looks delish!! :)

Kathy said...

I agree, the sauce could have been thicker. I actually added a bit of cornstarch to the sauce to thicken it. This was such a company worthy dish, and yours looks spectacular! Love your photo! Happy friday, Gaye!

Cher Rockwell said...

I contemplated adding starch or flour to thicken the sauce, but chickened (ducked?) out of that.
That duck fat is gold! Potatoes cooked in duck fat are one of my favorite foods, ever...

Mary Hirsch said...

Oh, Gaye, please say I can use that line, "quacks me up". I know you are a lawyer and I will definitely give you credit. I am already writingh the phrase in my mind..... Did you make the other two duck dishes? The duck recipe with peaches is fabulous. I didn't have a problem with the sauce. In fact, I reduced it too much and had to add a 1/4 cup of wine at the end. I think my figs were "heavy", so to speak, and made everything less runny. Yeah, it was a splurge, cost and calorie-wise but I liked it as well as you seemed to.

Cakelaw said...

LOL, hi Mary, happy for you to use it.

Betsy said...

I love duck and love making it home now that I know how. You're right that the sauce could have been thicker. I boiled mine for a long long time. My favorite part (other than the duck) was the fruit. So, so good!

Nana said...

This was truly a delicious and elegant dish. All of Dorie's duck recipe were so good and if it wasn't so expensive I think I would prepare
it more often. Your dish looks wonderful, quite delicious.

Andrea_TheKitchenLioness said...

Gaye, lovely dish of pan-seared duck breasts with oranges - your presentation is wonderful. I boiled the sauce for quite a while and although it had a nice consistency I would have preferred to have a bit more of it.
Have a nice weekend,
Andrea

Kayte said...

This looks really good, I need to mark this one as I don't have it marked yet and we do like duck...yours looks like a winner.

Diane Zwang said...

You quack me up. We did the orange thing too. I am glad that I am not the only one that paid a high price for their duck. Price alone makes it a special occasion meal.

Unknown said...

I don't think I've cooked duck before either, but maybe I have. I can't remember for sure:) I couldn't find duck breast for this one so I used pork loin. I think several of us agree with you desire for a thicker sauce next time.

Hotly Spiced said...

I used to grow cumquats but then I moved house and wouldn't know how else to source them unless you produced your own. You never see them in the shops. I do love duck and duck goes so well with orange so I know I'd enjoy this recipe xx

Von said...

Woah...duck breasts are so expensive! I usually buy whole duck when it's on special at the supermarket- so much cheaper lol though it's frozen ;) I don't see kumquats are often either, except in Asian supermarkets- not a huge fan anyway, I prefer oranges! Your duck looks so delicious!

Pam said...

You quack me up! lol! Love your humor and this recipe. My family loves duck so this is a must try. I can imagine how rich it is. I like your blog!

K / Pure & Complex said...

Your duck is the stuff dreams are made of.. this looks lovely and so darn succulent. Amazing recipe