Duck breast is a popular festive food throughout many parts of the world. In Denmark, the Julefrokost table often features various meat dishes, including a version of duck breast with orange sauce, sliced, and served alongside delicious sugary potatoes.
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts
- Salt and pepper (To taste)
- 1 cup of orange juice
- 2 tbsp of Cointreau
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 1 stalk of thyme
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 pinch of cardamom
Directions
- Start with the sauce. Pour your cup of orange juice, Cointreau, honey, sugar, cinnamon, thyme, and cardamom into a pan and let it come to a slow boil. The sauce should simmer while you’re preparing your duck breasts.
- Cut the skin-coated side of your duck breast fillets with a knife to score the meat, careful to not cut too far. Rub the breasts with salt and pepper.
- Place your duck breasts skin-side down in a cold, dry frying pan, and set the heat on low to medium, so the fat has time to melt. Fry the breasts with the skin side down for around 20 minutes.
- Keeping the heat low, flip your breasts over and fry them on the other side for approximately 5 minutes.
- Leaving your duck breasts in the pan, add the orange sauce and mix with any remaining fat from the duck.
- Remove the duck breasts and cut into thin slices, serving on a platter or plate. Pour the remaining orange sauce on top.
Danish duck breast origins
Duck in orange sauce is a recipe most commonly associated with France, but it’s also a popular choice among festive Danish dinners too. The slices of duck can be served hot or cold, either with potatoes and vegetables, or on top of thick slices of rye bread as a Danish open sandwich.
Scandification: Discovering Scandinavia.
