In traditional Western European cooking, duck is commonly served with a “fruity” sauce like an orange, cherry, or raspberry sauce to balance the fatty richness of the duck. Delicious! But, have you ever tried Asian spice-rubbed duck with a slightly sweet, tangy, anise (licorice) flavored sauce? Who knew anise is a perfect companion flavor for duck? After I had it served at a restaurant, I had to find the recipe. The recipe below is my adaptation of a recipe I found many years ago titled “A Very Easy Roasted Duck Breast”, source unknown. The Cranberry-Orange relish/garnish is a good counterpoint to the sauce and the richness of the duck and adds a “high-note” to the flavors in the recipe. If you love duck, you have to try this recipe! Enjoy!

Serves 2 people

Ingredients:

1 Duck Breast, at room temperature, with skin removed-just pull it off (see *Note)
salt & pepper
1 teaspoon ground Szechuan peppercorns (or 1 ½ tsp. black peppercorns) (you can find Szechuan peppercorns at Asian specialty stores)
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon five-spice powder (available in the Asian spice section of your supermarket, or Asian specialty stores)
1-star anise
1 tablespoon of brown sugar
1/2 cup of chicken broth
2 teaspoons of duck fat, reserved from duck breast skin
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1 clove of garlic, crushed

Preparation:

1. Using a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, crush the Szechuan peppercorns with cumin until you have a fine powder; use a fine sieve to remove any hard pits from the Szechuan peppercorns left in the spice mix powder. Combine the spice mix with the garlic powder and stir to combine well and set aside.

2. Season the duck breast with salt and pepper, and rub the seasoning spice on both sides of the duck breast. Let the duck breast sit for about 15 minutes (or more) so the flavors of the spice get a chance to work its magic. It would be best if you could let it sit in the fridge overnight. (If you refrigerate overnight, be sure to take the duck breast out of the refrigerator for at least a half-hour to bring it to room temperature before adding it to the hot pan.)

3. Heat a skillet on the stove with two teaspoons of duck fat or canola oil. Once the skillet is really hot, put the duck breast on the skillet and let it sear for 4 minutes over medium heat.

4. After 4 minutes, turn the duck breast over and cook for another 4 minutes. (for medium-rare)

5. Remove duck breast onto a cutting board to let it rest for 10 minutes covered with aluminum foil.

To make the sauce:

6. In the same skillet, add two teaspoons of duck fat and crushed garlic. Saute until the garlic is fragrant and then add the chicken broth, star anise, brown sugar, five-spice powder, and thyme. Scrape fond (froth) off the skillet and let the concoction boil until it is reduced by half. Strain the sauce using a medium or fine sieve, pressing the solids to extract as much of the flavorful juice as possible.

7. To serve, slice the duck breast diagonally across the grain as thin as you want, serve with some sauce and a spoonful of Cranberry-Orange relish. (see **Note)

A medium-bodied red wine like a Grenache, Pinot Noir, Merlot, or Cote du Rhone will pair well with the subtle licorice flavor of the sauce and the richness of the duck.

*Note: if you want to render the precious duck fat from the duck skin you pulled off the breast, cut the skin into ¾ inch strips, place the strips on a grate over a pan in the oven or your toaster oven and cook, turning once, for 20 minutes at 400 degrees, or until the skin is brown and crispy. Pour the fat into a heat-proof container and allow it to cool; refrigerate covered for up to several weeks. Try sprinkling salt on the crispy duck skin for a self-indulgent treat.

**Note: for Cranberry-Orange relish, cut an orange in half, remove the segments from one half with a spoon as you would grapefruit segments, and mix the segments into a ½ cup of the Cranberry-Pomegranate relish found on this website.

Print Recipe

Back to Duck