Pan Fried Duck Breast with Redcurrant and Port Sauce

Avoid crowded restaurants and ramp up the romance with our perfect pan-fried duck breast. Whether you’re a pan-cooking pro or are planning to cook the duck in a frying pan for the first time, our perfect pan-fried duck breast recipe will guide you to pan-fried perfection.

At a Glance

Servings:

2 People

Difficulty:

Medium

Prep Time:

15 min

Cooking Time:

20 min

How to make Pan Fried Duck Breast

Deceptively simple, this pan-fried duck breast recipe is sure to impress your Valentine’s guest. And should you require an easy sauce for duck breast, we’ve included a recipe for one of those, too. You can thank us later.

What you'll need:

For the pan-fried duck breast recipe

2 duck breasts (skin on)
Rough sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper

For the redcurrant and port sauce

150ml chicken stock
100g redcurrants
10g unsalted butter
1 shallot (finely chopped)
1tsp of fresh thyme leaves
2tsp of port (ruby or tawny)
1tbsp of salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Heat the oven to 200°C.
Use salt and pepper to season the duck skin side up.
Put the duck breasts in a cold pan, skin side down. Turn on the heat to medium-high and allow the duck to cook. If it starts to smoke, turn down the heat a little.
Once the duck has cooked about halfway through, transfer it to the oven while in the pan. Top tip: Before you transfer your pan-fried duck breasts to the oven, ensure your pan has an ovenproof handle. If not, simply transfer the duck to a roasting tray. If you are planning to use a roasting tray, ensure it is heated in the oven beforehand. The duck should be placed in the oven skin side down.
Once in the oven, cook the duck for a further 5-10 minutes. Adjust your times based on how well cooked you like your meat to be.
Remove and allow to rest for a further seven minutes before slicing.

Redcurrant and Port Sauce

To make your redcurrant jus, place half the butter in a pan and allow it to melt. Then add the shallot and cook until softened on a medium heat.
Add the thyme, chicken stock, port, honey and a little salt and pepper. Add about 3/4 of the red currants, keeping the rest back to add at the end of cooking.
Next, reduce the redcurrant and port To do this, simply increase the heat and simmer until it’s at a third of its original volume.
Turn down the heat, add the rest of the butter and whisk through until it is melted. Add the remaining berries, season to taste and serve over the sliced duck.