RECIPE INSPIRATION
7 EASY DUCK RECIPES
FOR YOUR NEXT DINNER PARTY
By Sam | 09 March 2023
This may be a controversial opinion but I believe that duck meat is severy underrated. I LOVE duck. Chicken too, don’t get me wrong, yet cooking and eating duck feels like a memorable affair. Quite possibly because it’s not something I had at all growing up, except as a swap for Christmas turkey. Something I am definitely making up for in adulthood! When well prepared, duck meat is full of flavour, juicy and with a delectable crispy skin that melts in your mouth.
DELIGHTFUL DUCK RECIPE IDEAS
In fact, because duck recipes are a little less common, they are very well-suited when hosting if you’re looking to delight and impress. Here are 7 oh-so-tasty duck recipes that will satisfy everyone and get them asking for seconds.
1. DUCK À L’ORANGE BON BONS
We decided that the classic duck à l’orange dish needed a re-brand. And so, we took all the good things from duck à l’orange – rich, succulent duck paired with the sweet tang of orange and wrapped it all up into a bitesize morsel as a duck bon bon! These bon bons make great litlle appetisers or nibbles to serve as your guests walk in.
2. CARAWAY DUCK LEG CONFIT
Spoiler alert: Duck is incredible when roasted in its own fat. Most things are, really. There is no meat juicier, no skin crisper than that of briefly pan-seared confit duck leg. If you've never cooked duck confit before, fear not! Though a lengthy cooking time, it is almost entirely hands-off with the simplest of prep. Serve with salad or alongside roasted potatoes. A dinner-party special awaits.
3. CONFIT DUCK PANCAKES
I suspect you would’ve had Peking duck pancakes at least once in your lifetime, and probably, like me, really enjoyed them. Served in most Chinese restaurants, the rich duck is accompanied by fresh cucumber strips, hoisin sauce, and a wafer-thin pancake. We wanted to find a way to easily recreate this delicious dish at home. Here, we’ve married that same format but with distinctly French Flavours. We take wonderfully indulgent confit Duck legs, shredded into small, bite-sized pieces and serve them with some petite, warm crepes. Perfect for a relaxed dinner party!
4. DUCK EGG CARBONARA
As absolutely delightful as duck confit sounds, sometimes (read, often) we are pushed for time and haven’t had the foresight to confit duck legs for 3 hours. This is when a luscious pasta dish like carbonara comes to the rescue. The genius move with this particular carbonara recipe is using duck eggs. Why, you ask? First, it sounds special already, but most importantly, duck egg is richer than its chicken counterpart, taking this simple recipe up a notch, or two.
5. ALL THE DUCK TACOS
Tacos, for a dinner party? Oh yes. They are fun, super customizable, and, above all so tasty. We’ve gone all out with these tacos using a whole duck prepared in two different ways that’s sure to leave your guests telling tales of the taco feast you laid on.
6. BUN VIT NAM BO – VIETNAMESE DUCK NOODLES
A twist on my favourite Vietnamese street food: Bun Bo Nam Bo. These little bowls of joy combine gloriously rich and moreish shredded duck leg with crunchy salad, succulent noodles, crisp onions and a sharp, lip-smacking dressing.
7. SMOKED DUCK À L’ORANGE
We saved the best for last! Frankly, Duck à l’Orange is a pretty old hat. A tired stereotype served in ageing bistros the world over. And it’s such a shame because it comes from a place of such greatness – beautiful duck with a rich, unctuously sweet sauce. By hot smoking the duck breast we’ve given a new dimension to this classic dish in the hope that we can bring it back to its past glory.
With these seven duck recipes, you'll be sure to impress your dinner party guests and make a lasting impression. Give them a try and see which ones become your new favourites! Let us know how you find them in the comment section below.
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