This post was written by Jennafer Ashley of PaleoHacks.
PaleoHacks is a top source for amazing Paleo recipes, fitness tips, and wellness advice to help you live life to the fullest.
Seared duck breast served over crispy daikon radish noodles and topped with a sweet and savory sauce!
Duck breast has a thick layer of fat that reduces upon cooking, creating a crisp, golden-brown layer on top. The flavor inside is tender and rich, making it an ideal romantic dinner for two!
Unlike chicken, duck breast doesn’t have to be cooked through and can be served rare if desired, much like a steak. This is especially true if your duck breast is high quality free-range with less chance of contamination.
Duck is often served with a hoisin sauce loaded with soy and refined sugar. Instead, this 3-ingredient sauce uses coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar and coconut sugar to create a much healthier sauce that hits the same spots on the palate and keeps taste buds dancing.
Start by blotting the duck breast dry on a paper towel. Use a sharp knife to score the thick fat layer of breast vertically and horizontally. This helps render the fat from the skin. Add the duck to a cold pan and then turn the heat to medium. This allows the duck fat to slowly render instead of placing it on a preheated pan. Allow the fat to sizzle and crack for 8-12 minutes.
While the duck is cooking, spiral slice the daikon radish using a 3 mm blade. You can also peel the radish with a julienne vegetable peeler to create long strands. When the skin side is done cooking, drain the fat and flip the duck breast to the meat side. Tip: save the fat for cooking sliced sweet potatoes for amazingly crisp and flavorful fries! Sear the duck for 4-6 minutes, depending on thickness and desired doneness. Then flip and sear fat side 2-3 minutes longer.
Let the duck rest on a cutting board for 5-10 minutes before slicing. Meanwhile, stir together ingredients for sauce. Slice the duck and drizzled with sauce over a bed of daikon noodles.
Tools
Medium pan
Small mixing bowl
Sharp knife
Spiral slicer or julienne peeler
Prep time: 5 minutes
Cook time: 21 minutes
Total time: 36 minutes (with resting time)
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients
1 lb. duck breast
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 daikon radish
2 T coconut aminos
1 T + 1 t coconut sugar
1/2 t apple cider vinegar
How to Make It
- Pat duck breast dry by blotting with paper towel. Use a sharp knife to score the thick fat layer of breast vertically and horizontally. Season with salt and pepper on both sides.
- Add the duck (skin side down) to a medium pan, then heat the pan to medium to slowly render the fat. Cook 8-12 minutes.
- While the duck is cooking, spiral slice the daikon radish.
- Drain fat from the pan and turn the duck to cook the meat side for 4-6 minutes.
- Return to fat side for 2-3 more minutes.
- Transfer to a cutting board and let rest 5-10 minutes. Make the sauce by stirring remaining ingredients together in a small bowl.
- Slice the duck, serve over daikon radish and drizzle with sauce.
Jennafer Ashley is a Recipe Developer and Food Photographer. She is the girl behind the healthy recipes at Fresh and Fit, her recipe development company and blog of the same name. Jennafer loves to cook recipes that suit a variety of diet lifestyles- from Vegan to Paleo. Her philosophy on food is that it should be beautiful, affordable, and of course, delicious. When Jennafer isn’t in the kitchen, you can find her hiking with her German Shepherd or perusing the aisles of home decor stores.
PaleoHacks is a top source for amazing Paleo recipes, fitness tips, and wellness advice to help you live life to the fullest.
