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Recipe Detail Page
Five-Spice Duck Two Ways with Spicy Cranberry Ketchup
Holiday 2023
Perfumed with cinnamon and star anise, duck breasts and legs are cooked separately to maximize crisp skin and succulent flesh. They’re served with a festive cranberry ketchup amped up with ginger and hot sauce. (The recipe yields extra ketchup; this can be kept in the freezer for up to 1 year. Serve it with chicken, turkey or pork.) To serve a few more people, you can add two more duck breasts and cook them in a larger pan.
Serves 6
CRANBERRY KETCHUP
1 bag (12 oz/340 g) fresh or frozen cranberries, about 3 1/2 cups (875 mL)
2/3 cup (150 mL) honey
1/2 cup (125 mL) cranberry juice
2 tbsp (30 mL) rice vinegar
1 tbsp (15 mL) sriracha
2 tsp (10 mL) finely grated ginger
1 tsp (5 mL) finely grated orange zest
Large pinch salt
DUCK
2 tbsp (30 mL) Diamond Crystal kosher salt or 1 tbsp (15 mL) fine sea salt
1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) Chinese five-spice powder
2 boneless duck breasts, about 10 oz (285 g) each
4 duck legs, about 8 oz (225 g) each
1/4 cup (60 mL) duck fat, melted
1 tbsp (15 mL) honey
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pulp-free orange juice or water
1. For the cranberry ketchup, place ingredients in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. When it comes to a boil, reduce heat to maintain a vigorous simmer. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 8 minutes— most skins will have split. Remove from heat. Cool 5 minutes then purée in blender until smooth. Pass through a fine-mesh strainer, discarding solids. Transfer to an airtight container. Cool completely. Cover and refrigerate up to 2 weeks. Serve at room temperature.
2. To make duck, in a small bowl, mix salt and five-spice powder until combined.
3. Lay out duck breasts and legs on a baking sheet. Pat dry with paper towel. Using a toothpick or the tip of a paring knife, prick skin of each leg a dozen times without hitting meat. Using a sharp knife, lightly score skin of breasts in a crosshatch pattern at 1/2-inch (1-cm) intervals without going through to meat. Season both sides with spiced salt, saving any extra for another use. Place in an airtight container. Refrigerate at least 2 hours, preferably overnight.
4. About 2 1/2 hours before serving, place duck legs in a baking pan that fits them snugly. Pour duck fat over and flip a few times to coat, leaving them skin side up. Place on middle rack in a cold oven.
5. Set oven to 285°F (140°C).
6. Bake duck legs, basting every 30 minutes, until tip of a paring knife meets with just a little resistance, about 1 3/4 hours. Remove from oven and leave in pan.
7. Raise oven to 375°F (191°C).
8. Place duck breasts, skin side down, in medium, oven-proof, nonstick frying pan. Place pan over medium heat. When they start sizzling and rendering fat, about 5 minutes, reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, scooping and saving fat as it renders, until skin is brown and crisp, about 12 minutes more. Flip breasts and place in oven. Cook until an instant-read thermometer inserted sideways into thickest part reads 130°F (54°C) for medium-rare, about 4 minutes, or 140°F (60°C) for medium, about 6 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack to rest.
9. While breasts are resting, whisk honey and orange juice or water in a small bowl. Brush duck legs and return to oven. Bake until heated through, basting once, about 5 minutes. Brush again with honey mixture. Drain briefly on paper towel then transfer to a serving platter. With a very sharp knife, cut duck breast into thin slices. Arrange on platter with legs. Serve immediately with spicy cranberry ketchup.
Serves 6
