Every once in a while you want a “nice” meal that is presented to your dinner guests on a plate. Everything is on that plate – it has the vegetable, the starch and in the centre of plate, the feature menu item. In this instance, the centre of the plate is a Grilled Duck Breast with Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce.

Beside every chicken display case in the grocery store is likely turkey, Cornish hens and then duck. You know all about turkey and have no idea what a Cornish hen is but you’ve never tried duck. This recipe is for you.

Duck is a meat that can be a challenge to cook for many enthusiastic cooks. It usually has a rather thick layer of fat under the skin for breast portions or in the case of an entire duck (whole) it can leave a lot of grease in your grill when you cook it! If you know of this and plan for it, you can cook duck perfectly and look like you are Grilling Like a Champion!

This recipe was crafted by our friend Steve Waldron. He loves cooking if not on his grills or smokers outside but also indoors in the kitchen. This recipe for grilled duck breast can be done either indoors in skillets or outdoors on your grill. Simply take the time to do the same things on your grill and keep the temperature in control! That’s a key to cooking duck properly.

Tips to Cooking Duck Breast

As we share with you in this recipe the choice is for duck breast pieces. These are very similar is size to chicken breast in size however the skin is on the duck. This is often thick and the hard part to cooking it. On one hand you don’t want to undercook the duck leaving a chewy, thick, mouthfeel that is less that remarkable. So how do you cook that skin properly?

It all starts with a cold pan. Use a skillet that is right out of the storage drawer and place the duck into it… no pre-heating and no oil even. This cooking from cold will allow the fat to render, cook and release moisture into the pan. Not only is the pan cold but the cooking heat is fairly low too… start at low to medium heat and leave it there. The more patient you are with leaving the duck alone in the skillet with the fat side down and not moving it around, the better colour and flavour will be developed as you cook it. So, in short, cold pan and cold to medium heat for cooking duck.

Simple Flavour?

In this recipe, the seasoning is really simple… a little Peppered Bovine or salt and pepper. That’s pretty simple compared to other dishes. But, if you want to fancy it up, of course you can use Competition Rib Rub for a sweet flavour or even Competition Beef Rub for a savory note. The choice is yours! But the key part of this recipe is the pan sauce using shallots, balsamic vinegar and Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce. That’s simply delicious!

Grilled Duck Breast with Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce

Print Recipe

Course Main Course

Cuisine Grill, Kitchen

HoQ Product Pepppered Bovine, Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce

Prep Time 20 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 2

Author House of Q

Ingredients

• 2 Duck breasts fat scored
• 1-2 teaspoons House of Q Peppered Bovine or alternately coarse salt and pepper
• 1/4 cup Shallot, diced
• 1/2 cup Chicken stock
• 1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar
• 2 TB House of Q Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 1 TB Olive oil

Instructions

• Begin by using a sharp knife and cut a grid pattern on the fatty side of each duck breast. The cut should only be through the fatty part and not into the duck breast. Cut in one direction with parallel cuts approximately 3/4 of an inch apart. Once the cuts are done in one direction, turn the duck breast 90 degrees and repeat the same cuts to create a "diamond" pattern.
• Season each duck breast on both sides with Peppered Bovine. Be careful to not put too much on and make your duck breasts spicy… a little coating should be just enough.
• In a preheated skillet to low/medium heat, heat the olive oil and sauté the sliced shallots. Once the shallots are soft and translucent add the stock, vinegar and Sugar & Spice BBQ Sauce. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce is reduced by half.
• As an extra step, strain the sauce to remove the shallots. This will provide a "clean" sauce without any chunks in it. Check for flavour and if needed season with salt and pepper. Set aside and hold for the remaining steps.
• To cook the duck, begin with a clean, cold skillet. Place the skin side down and turn on the heat to low/medium. Let the skin sear and become crisp without moving the duck… simply let it cook and establish beautiful colour. It might be hard to not pick it up to look and to see what's happening but if you are patient, it will pay off with some wonderful colour. Cook until duck has reached an internal temperature of 125 and the fat has rendered. Turn the breasts over and cook the meaty side until the meat reaches 130-135 F. Once done, remove from the skillet and let rest on a cutting board.
• Using a sharp knife, slice the duck breast on a diagonal keeping the pieces together. Once slicing all the pieces, slide your knife under the duck breast and pick up all of the pieces and place on a plate. Press into the breasts and little and separate the pieces creating a shingled look. Drizzle the prepared sauce over the duck breast and if you'd like, put a little in a dipping bowl. The sauce is going to be so good, you don't want to leave any in the pan!
• Serve with a side salad, grilled potatoes or vegetables and a glass of wine and you will have a memorable meal!

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