Pan-Seared Duck with Orange Glaze, Duck Fat Mashed Potatoes and Arugula-Almond Salad

Think a luxurious French-inspired dinner requires a plane ticket or a reservation at the fanciest restaurant? Think again! This elegant dish-featuring pan-seared duck breast with a savory-sweet orange glaze, creamy duck fat mashed potatoes and a bright arugula salad-can be whipped up in your own kitchen in just 40 minutes.

The duck is perfectly seared until the skin is crispy, then glazed with a thyme-flecked orange sauce. The mashed potatoes get an indulgent boost from rendered duck fat, while the salad adds freshness with juicy orange segments, pickled shallots and toasted almonds. Treat your taste buds to a trip-no passport required!

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Ingredients

12 ounce Yukon Gold PotatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce ThymeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Maple Leaf Farms Duck BreastView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit ShallotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit OrangeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Apricot JamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 teaspoon Red Wine VinegarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Dijon MustardView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 ounce ArugulaView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 ounce AlmondsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 teaspoon SugarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Olive OilView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon ButterView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

SaltView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

PepperView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

Instructions

1. Wash and dry all produce. Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces (peel first for smoother texture). Place in a large pot with half the thyme sprigs and enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs. Reserve ¼ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain and return potatoes to pot.
2. Pat duck dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in a large nonstick pan. Cook over medium heat until skin is crisp, carefully reserving rendered fat in a small bowl, 15-20 minutes (lower heat if browning too quickly). Meanwhile, halve and peel shallot; thinly slice one half (all for 4 servings). Toss sliced shallot in a separate small bowl with half the vinegar, 1 tsp sugar (1½ tsp for 4) and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Zest orange until you have 1 tsp zest (2 tsp for 4); halve orange. Squeeze juice from one half into a third small bowl. Peel remaining half; dice into ½-inch pieces. (For 4, squeeze juice from two halves; peel and dice remaining orange.) To the bowl with juice, add jam, stock concentrate, half the orange zest and remaining vinegar. Pick thyme leaves from remaining sprigs until you have 1 tsp (2 tsp for 4); roughly chop.
4. Once skin is crisp, flip duck and cook to desired doneness, 3-5 minutes more. Transfer to a cutting board to rest. Add chopped thyme to same pan over medium heat; cook until fragrant, 30-60 seconds. Stir in orange juice mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook until thickened, 2-3 minutes. Stir in 1 TBSP butter until melted; turn off heat.
5. Heat pot with drained potatoes over medium-low heat. Add sour cream and 1 TBSP butter (2 TBSP for 4 servings); mash, adding up to ¼ cup reserved potato cooking liquid as needed until smooth. Stir in reserved duck fat to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Keep covered off heat.
6. In a large bowl, combine pickling liquid from shallot, mustard, a drizzle of olive oil, remaining orange zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss with arugula, pickled shallot, orange pieces and almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Slice duck crosswise. Divide plates with salad, potatoes and duck. Spoon sauce over duck.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use chicken instead of duck?

Yes, but the cooking time and fat content will differ. Use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and adjust cooking time until internal temperature reaches 165°F.

How do I store leftovers?

Store duck, potatoes and salad separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Reheat duck and potatoes gently; salad is best fresh.

Can I make this dish dairy-free?

Substitute butter with a dairy-free alternative and use dairy-free sour cream. Omit butter in the sauce or use a vegan butter.