Created for the Mid-Autumn Festival, this recipe brings together honey-glazed duck breast, colourful vegetables and roasted endive. Duck is enjoyed during the Mid-Autumn Festival in several regional Chinese traditions. In his interpretation, Chef Antonio Lorenzon pairs duck breast with a soy, honey and apricot glaze. Stir-fried vegetables add freshness and crunch, while roasted endive brings a gently bitter note.

Why Cook Duck Breast with the Skin On?

Cooking the duck slowly, skin side down, allows the fat beneath the skin to render and the skin to brown. The rendered fat also adds flavour to the glaze. Score the skin before cooking, taking care not to cut into the meat.

How to Make Honey-Glazed Duck Breast

The duck is browned in a pan, brushed with the glaze and finished in the oven. Meanwhile, the vegetables are sautéed, the endive is roasted and the leek is fried for a crisp garnish.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Ingredients for 2 person 

For the duck

• 2 skin-on duck breasts, approximately 350–400 g each
• Salt, to taste
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For the glaze

• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 1 generous tablespoon apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• 2 tablespoons water

For the vegetables and garnish

• 1 leek
• 1 litre vegetable oil, for frying
• 2 heads of endive
• 1 knob of butter
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 2 carrots
• 2 zucchini
• 50 g bean sprouts
• 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
• Sesame seeds, to taste
• A little oil, for sautéing the vegetables

Directions

1. Preheat your Fulgor Milano oven to 180°C (350°F).
2. Prepare the duck. Score the skin of each duck breast without cutting into the meat. Season with salt and black pepper.
3. Brown the duck. Place the breasts skin side down in a pan over low heat. Cook until the skin is browned and some of its fat has rendered. Set the duck aside and reserve the rendered fat.
4. Make the glaze. Mix the soy sauce, honey, apricot jam, rice vinegar, ginger and water. Pour the mixture into the pan with some of the reserved duck fat and simmer until slightly reduced.
5. Finish the duck in the oven. Brush the breasts with the glaze, transfer them to an oven-safe pan or dish and cook for approximately 6–7 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of the breasts.
6. Prepare the vegetables. Cut the carrots and zucchini into thin, spaghetti-like strips. Sauté them briefly in a pan with a little oil. Add the bean sprouts, pour in the rice vinegar and finish with sesame seeds.
7. Roast the endive. Melt the butter in a separate pan. Halve the endive, place it cut side down in the pan and cook until lightly browned. Add the thyme.
8. Fry the leek. Cut the leek into thin strips and fry in the vegetable oil until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper.
9. Plate and serve. Slice the duck breasts and arrange them alongside the vegetables and endive. Add the crispy leek and spoon the remaining glaze over the duck.

Tips for Success

• Cook the duck skin side down over low heat: this gives the fat time to render without browning the skin too quickly.
• Watch the glaze as it reduces: the honey and apricot jam can catch if the heat is too high.
• Keep the vegetables crunchy: sauté them briefly to preserve their colour and texture.