Honey-Glazed Duck Breasts with Spices & Sichuan Pepper

Absolutely, and you should. Make the glaze up to 3 days in advance and store it in a jar in the fridge. It thickens as it cools, so you’ll need to gently warm it (or let it sit at room temperature) before pouring it over the duck. This actually improves the flavour. Consider it a head start on being effortlessly chic.

Store sliced duck and any remaining glaze separately in airtight containers in the fridge for up to 3 days. To reheat, do not microwave it unless you fancy rubber. Place the slices in a single layer on a baking tray, spoon a little glaze over them, and warm in a 160°C oven for 5-7 minutes until just heated through.

You can, but the texture of the breast will suffer slightly upon thawing. If you must, freeze the sliced duck in a single layer on a tray before transferring to a freezer bag, squeezing out all the air. Freeze the glaze separately. Use within 2 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as above.

If it’s too thick while making it, add a teaspoon of warm water to loosen it. If it’s burning, your heat is too high. The honey caramelisation step is a 2-3 minute visual cue, not a timed commandment. Once you add the vinegar, it should bubble fiercely then settle into a lazy simmer. Control is key.

Yes, but you’ll lose the signature citrusy-tingling note. Use an extra ½ tsp of black peppercorns mixed with a tiny pinch of orange or lemon zest. It’s not the same, but it’s a decent salvage operation. If you’re avoiding spice altogether, just omit them.

Use the bottom of a heavy saucepan or a rolling pin to crush them in a sturdy bowl. Pre-ground coriander and Sichuan pepper are poor substitutes (they lose their soul quickly), but in a pinch, use ½ tsp ground coriander and ¼ tsp ground Sichuan pepper. The flavour will be muted.

wo likely culprits: 1) You didn’t score the skin deeply enough (get right to the meat, don’t be shy) or pat it bone-dry before cooking. 2) You rushed the initial skin-side-down sear in the pan. That step isn’t in the oven instructions because the hot glaze and high oven heat should render it. If your breasts are very fatty, give them a 2-minute sear skin-side down in the hot pan before adding the glaze and going into the oven.

Red wine vinegar is the stated backup and works well. Apple cider vinegar is a fine, fruity substitute. Do not use white vinegar – it’s too harsh. The vinegar’s job is to cut the sweetness, not declare war on it.

Something simple to mop up that glorious glaze. Sauteed potatoes or dauphinois potatoes even, or plain jasmine rice are perfect foils. A sharp, bitter green like wilted pak choi or a watercress salad provides a necessary counterpoint to the rich, sweet duck.

Yes, completely. Duck fat is a glorious, unapologetic by-product. As the glaze simmers with the duck, some fat will mingle in. Don’t stress. When you take the duck out to rest, you can skim off excess fat from the pan juices if you wish, leaving a more syrupy consistency to drizzle over the sliced meat.

For that professional, lacquered, slightly sticky-crisp finish? Absolutely. It’s the 60-second magic trick. If your oven doesn’t have a grill function, simply blast the oven at its highest temp for the final 2 minutes with the duck skin-side up. Watch it like a hawk.