
Recipe for pan-fried and cured duck breast
Delicious and succulent duck breast, infused with a hint of orange flavor from a brine.
This dish was originally intended as a main course for 2 people and was to be served with grilled pointed cabbage.
As we spontaneously received guests, the dish was transformed into a starter and served without the cabbage.
The recipe is inspired by the fantastic book: “Two Sides of the Same Taste“, written by Jesper Vollmer.

Pan-fried and Cured Duck Breast
Ingredients
Rimmed duck breast
- 1 l Water
- 300 gram Salt
- 35 gram Brown sugar
- 1 pcs. Orange Juice and zest of an organic orange
- 2 pcs. Duck Breast
- Salt and Pepper from grinder
Puree
- 1 pcs. Celery small
- 15 gram Butter
- 100 gram Water This can easily be up to 2 dl - depending on the pot and the size of the celeriac
- 100 gram Whipping Cream This can easily be up to 2 dl - depending on the pot and the size of the celeriac
- 103 gram Whole Milk This can easily be up to 2 dl - depending on the pot and the size of the celeriac
- Salt and Pepper
Green Oil
- 184 gram Oil Neutral in flavor
- 1 bunch Broad leaf parsley and possibly leaves from the celeriac
- Onion Marmalade Or pickled red onions
Instructions
Curing Brine
- Squeeze the orange for juice and grate the zest.
- Bring water to a boil in a pot along with salt, brown sugar, orange zest, and orange juice.
- Pour the liquid into a bowl/container and let it cool - for example, 30-45 minutes in the freezer.
Cured Duck Breast
- Remove the tendon from the underside of the duck breast and score the skin in a diamond pattern.
- Cut the breasts lengthwise and divide them in two.
- Place them in the brine and let them "cure" for at least 2 hours in the fridge.
Pan-Fried Duck Breast
- Take the duck pieces out of the brine and pat them dry. I usually use a clean tea towel for this.
- Brown the duck breasts in a hot, dry pan.
- Start with the skin side down; it will release enough fat to use for frying.
- When the skin is crispy, turn the meat and cook for about 3 minutes on the other side.
- Remove from the pan and let it rest (uncovered) on a cutting board for a couple of minutes.
- Slice it into approximately 1 cm thick slices and season with salt and pepper.
Green Oil
- The herb oil gets its beautiful green color from plants with chlorophyll, such as parsley, celery leaves, and basil.
- Here I used a bunch of parsley along with the leaves from my celeriac.
- The leaves are thoroughly rinsed to remove soil residue and briefly scalded. I do this by placing them in a sieve and running them under my boiling water tap.
- Place them in a thin, round bowl along with the oil.
- Blend everything with a hand blender so that the oil and herbs are combined.
- Sieve everything through a cheesecloth/muslin and you have a beautiful green oil.
Celeriac Puree
- Peel the celeriac and cut it into small cubes of about 2 x 2 cm. The smaller and more uniform, the better.
- I always use a mixture of 1/3 cream, 1/3 whole milk, and 1/3 water when cooking my celeriac for puree.
- Put the celeriac pieces and liquids in a pot and bring to a boil.
- Let it simmer for about 20-25 minutes until they are tender. The liquid must not burn as it will taste burnt, so remember to stir the mixture.
- When they are tender, you have two options:1) Use a blender. Add the celeriac pieces, butter, and a little of the liquid to the blender and blend. Add a bit more of the liquid and blend again until you have a smooth puree. Season with salt and pepper and possibly lemon juice/vinegar.
- Pour the liquid out of the pot, keeping a little left. Add the butter and blend directly in the pot. Gradually add a bit of the liquid until it is smooth. Season with salt and pepper and possibly lemon juice/vinegar.
Serving
- Place about 2 tablespoons of puree on the plate and lay the duck breast pieces over it.
- Add the green oil and optionally pickled red onions or onion marmalade.
- Bon appétit.
