Roasted Hoisin Duck Breasts

I simply must share this simple dish. Silent Bob and I had it with a side of fried rice and almonds and stir-fried broccoli and peppers - fast and easy Asian.


The duck breast came with the breast skin intact, so I removed it and saved it for rendering the fat - a confit down the line just might be in order. The naked breasts were marinated for a few hours in a combination of sesame and peanut oils, Hoisin sauce, hot Thai chili sauce, soy sauce, a shallot, ginger, and garlic. Easy, or what?

I made the fried rice and almonds a head of everything else and just warmed it before we plated the duck. When it came time to stir fry the vegetables, I heated a grill pan and seared the breasts on either side, then slid the pan into a preheated oven to roast the breasts to a medium rare finish - yes, pink in the middle and brown at the surface. With a few more brushings of that marinade, a nice shiny glaze forms. While the duck roasted in the oven, I did the vegetable stir-fry. Everything came together at the same time, hot and perfect -so tender and delicious! The shiny sticky coating on each slice of duck breast has the best sweet, spicy flavour. And did I mention easy?

The whole meal, once the slice and dice is complete and the rice is steamed, cooled and fried, comes together in the space of ten minutes or so. This is an adaptation of a Barbara Tropp recipe from her China Moon Cook Book ... she was a great one for making her own spiced oils and spice mixtures, so I adapted her ingredient list somewhat and used the flavours that I had in my pantry that mirror as closely as possible her ingredients. I followed her preparation instructions to the letter.

Hoisin Roast Duck Breast

Serves 2

Ingredients:

¼ c. Hoisin sauce

1 tbsp. soy sauce

1 tbsp. sesame oil

1 tbsp. peanut oil

2 tsp. dry sherry or Chinese rice wine

1 inch knob ginger root, peeled and minced

2 tbsp. minced shallot or green onion

2 tsp. hot Thai chili sauce

1 clove garlic, minced

2 boneless split duck breasts, skins removed

Making the Dish:

1. Remove the skins from the duck breasts and reserve for another use.
2. Wash and pat the breasts dry.
3. Combine the rest of the ingredients in a small shallow dish, place the duck in the marinade and turn to coat, massaging the meat and spooning the sauce over top.
4. Cover and refrigerate for at least two hours and up to overnight.
5. Bring the duck to room temperature and preheat the oven to 375° F.
6. Heat a fry or grill pan over high heat. Add 1 tbsp. peanut oil to the pan and when it shimmers, place the duck breast in the pan. Fry for about 1 ½ minutes, until the duck if golden brown. Turn and fry for another minutes.
7. Remove the duck from the pan and place on a nice roasting dish, brush with some of the marinade and place in the center of the preheated oven. Roast for about 5 minutes or until the breasts are medium-rare.
8. Slice the breasts on the diagonal to make slabs about ½ inch thick.
9. Serve with fried rice or over a green salad or over a pillow of pot-browned noodles or, or, or …

Note: This recipe is easier doubled or tripled if you want to make more duck breasts.