Pan-Seared Duck Breast with Orange Sauce, Duck Fat Mashed Potatoes &Amp; Almond Salad

Think you need a plane ticket to France to enjoy a dish like duck à l’orange? Think again! This luxurious meal can be whipped up from the comfort of your own kitchen in just 40 minutes. We’re talking pan-seared duck with a savory-sweet, thyme-flecked orange glaze, creamy duck fat mashed potatoes and a bright mixed greens salad bursting with juicy orange segments, pickled shallot and crunchy almonds.

Take your taste buds on a trip-no passport required! This recipe is perfect for a special dinner or when you want to impress guests without spending hours in the kitchen.

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Ingredients

12 ounce Yukon Gold PotatoesView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.25 ounce ThymeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

12 ounce Duck BreastsView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit ShallotView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

5 teaspoon Red Wine VinegarView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit OrangeView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Apricot JamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

1 unit Chicken Stock ConcentrateView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 tablespoon Sour CreamView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 teaspoon Dijon MustardView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

2 ounce Mixed GreensView ingredient guideLike ingredientDislike ingredient

0.5 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 produce. Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces (peel first for smoother texture). Place in a large pot with a few thyme sprigs and enough salted water to cover by 2 inches. Bring to a boil and cook until tender, 15-20 minutes. Remove and discard thyme sprigs. Reserve ½ cup potato cooking liquid, then drain and return potatoes to pot. Keep covered off heat until ready to mash.
2. Meanwhile, 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, carefully reserving rendered fat in a small bowl, until skin is crisp, 15-20 minutes (lower heat if browning too quickly). While duck cooks, halve, peel and thinly slice half the shallot. Toss sliced shallot in a separate small bowl with half the vinegar, 1 tsp sugar and a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Strip thyme leaves from remaining sprigs to get 1 tsp; roughly chop. Zest orange until you have 1 tsp. Halve orange; squeeze juice from one half into a third small bowl. Peel and dice remaining orange half into ½-inch pieces. To the bowl with orange juice, stir in apricot jam, chicken stock concentrate, half the orange zest and remaining vinegar.
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 the same pan over medium heat and cook until fragrant, 30 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. Mash with sour cream and 1 TBSP butter until smooth and creamy, adding splashes of reserved potato cooking liquid as needed. Stir in reserved duck fat to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Keep covered off heat until ready to serve.
6. In a large bowl, combine shallot pickling liquid, mustard, a drizzle of olive oil, remaining orange zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss with mixed greens, pickled shallot, diced orange and almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Slice duck crosswise. Divide duck, mashed potatoes and salad among plates. Spoon orange sauce over duck and serve.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I use chicken instead of duck?

Yes, you can substitute boneless, skin-on chicken thighs for duck. Adjust cooking time as needed and skip the duck fat in the mashed potatoes.

How do I store leftovers?

Store duck, mashed 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 recipe dairy-free?

Yes, use dairy-free sour cream and butter substitutes and omit the butter in the sauce or use a vegan alternative.