Cooking Duck Breasts at Home to Achieve More Succulent Meat

When cooking duct meat, most cooks want to have golden crisp skin and a deeply rich and rosy interior. Duck is often overlooked as a date-night alternative; however, it truly has the ease of chicken breast and sophistication of beef steak. Making a mouth-watering duck at home can require just a pan and some simple preparation tricks. And the result can rival restaurant-prepared duck dishes.

Why Many People Cook Duck at Home

Duck breast is one of the favourite dishes that people order at restaurants. But, because it is not always possible to visit a restaurant, families opt to use a duck recipe kids love. For way less than a great steak, cooking duck breast at home can be a sumptuous meal for a family with kids.

Another reasons for cooking duck breast at home is that duck is a nice alternative to other poultry for guests who do not eat red meat. Duck meat is a bit lighter than steak; however, every bit is juicy.

Things to keep in Mind when Buying Duck Breast

Duck breasts are more expensive than chicken breasts. In fact, they can usually cost you as much as a nice steak. You can easily find duck breasts in most grocery stores, though they may be frozen. But, you can also order them online.

As you search for information about duck meat online, you will come across varieties. White Pekin duck is smaller, milder, and easier to find. Muscovy and Moulard breasts are bigger, can have a very strong flavor and can be tougher regardless of how well you cook them.

Steps for Cooking Duck Breasts at Home

Start by scoring the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife. Create shallow diagonal cuts across the width and length and cut through the skin without hitting the flesh. The purpose is to render the fat from the breast and end up with crispier skin.

The next step is to add the breasts skin-side down to a cold pan under medium heat. As the pain heats slowly, the skin also slowly renders out the fat and makes the skin very crispy. If you want to the meat more succulent, consider cooking it in the fat. Cooking the duck breasts as though they were steaks makes for tenderer breasts. The rendered fat can be used for crisping potatoes, sautéing greens, or softening onions and apples in the pan while it is still hot.