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

Transform your dinner table into a French bistro with this elegant yet surprisingly simple dish. Pan-seared duck breasts are cooked to perfection, with crispy skin and tender meat, then glazed in a luscious orange sauce infused with thyme. The duck fat rendered during cooking is put to good use in creamy mashed potatoes, while a bright arugula salad with juicy orange segments, pickled shallot and crunchy almonds balances the richness.

Ready in just 40 minutes, this meal proves that gourmet cooking doesn’t require a plane ticket or a reservation. With a handful of premium ingredients and a few easy techniques, you can create a memorable dinner that feels like a special occasion any night of the week.

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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

2 tablespoon 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 ArugulaView 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 all produce. Dice potatoes into ½-inch pieces (peel first for smoother texture). Place in a large pot with a few thyme sprigs (reserve rest for later) 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.
2. Meanwhile, pat duck dry with paper towels; season all over with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in a large, preferably nonstick, pan. Cook over medium heat, carefully reserving rendered fat in a small bowl as it accumulates, until skin is crisp, 15-20 minutes. Lower heat if skin browns too quickly. While duck cooks, halve and peel shallot; thinly slice one half (whole shallot for 4 servings). Toss sliced shallot in a separate small bowl with half the vinegar (rest used later), 1 tsp sugar (1½ tsp for 4) and a big pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Zest orange until you have 1 tsp (2 tsp for 4 servings). Halve orange; squeeze juice from one half into a third small bowl. Peel remaining orange half; dice into ½-inch pieces. (For 4, squeeze juice from two halves; peel and dice remaining orange.) To bowl with orange juice, add jam, stock concentrate, half the orange zest and remaining vinegar. Strip thyme leaves from remaining sprigs until you have 1 tsp (2 tsp for 4); roughly chop leaves.
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 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 (2 TBSP for 4) 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.
6. In a large bowl, combine pickling liquid from shallot, mustard, a large drizzle of olive oil, remaining orange zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Toss with arugula, pickled shallot, diced orange and almonds. Season with salt and pepper. Slice duck crosswise. Divide between plates with salad and potatoes. Spoon sauce over duck and serve.

Recipe Tips

FAQ

Can I substitute the duck with chicken?

While duck provides a unique richness, you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Adjust cooking time as needed and note that you won’t get duck fat for the potatoes.

How do I know when the duck is cooked to medium-rare?

Use an instant-read thermometer: 125°F (52°C) for medium-rare. The duck will continue to cook while resting.

Can I make the mashed potatoes ahead of time?

Yes, prepare the potatoes up to 2 hours ahead. Keep covered and reheat gently with a splash of milk or reserved cooking liquid.