Duck Breasts With Orange Honey And Tea Sauce Recipe

How to Make Duck Breasts With Orange Honey And Tea Sauce

1. Preheat oven to 450°F (232°C).
2. Pierce the skin of the duck breasts all over with a fork.
3. Season duck breasts generously with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Heat a heavy-bottomed large skillet over high heat.
5. Add duck breasts skin-side down to the hot skillet. Cook until the skin is deeply golden brown and crispy, about 4-5 minutes.
6. Flip the duck breasts and cook for 2 minutes on the other side.
7. Remove the duck breasts from the skillet and set aside.
8. Place a wire rack inside a roasting pan.
9. Transfer the duck breasts to the rack.
10. Roast the duck breasts in the preheated oven to your desired doneness: approximately 20 minutes for medium-rare (internal temperature of 130-135°F/54-57°C), or longer for a more well-done result. Use a meat thermometer to check for doneness.
11. Meanwhile, pour off excess fat from the skillet, leaving about 2 tablespoons of drippings.
12. Add 2 tablespoons of finely chopped shallots to the skillet and sauté until beginning to brown, about 5 minutes.
13. Tilt the skillet and push the shallots to one side. Spoon off any excess drippings.
14. Add 1/2 cup of chicken broth, 1/4 cup of fresh orange juice, and 1 teaspoon of loose leaf black tea (or 1 tea bag) to the skillet.
15. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the liquid is reduced to 1 1/4 cups, about 15-17 minutes.
16. Pour the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer set over a bowl, pressing on the solids to extract as much liquid as possible. Discard the solids.
17. Return the strained liquid to the skillet.
18. Stir in 2 tablespoons of honey.
19. Bring the sauce to a simmer.
20. Remove from heat and whisk in 2 tablespoons of cold unsalted butter until smooth and glossy.
21. Season the sauce with salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
22. Once the duck breasts are cooked, let them rest for 5-10 minutes before thinly slicing crosswise.
23. Arrange the duck slices on 4 plates, fanning them out slightly.
24. Spoon the sauce generously over the duck breasts.
25. Garnish with fresh orange segments, if desired.