I love this yakitori-inspired dish. You can use large mallard, canvasback or goose breasts. From a farmed perspective, go for magret or even large Pekin breasts.
Grilled Duck Breasts with Sake & Soy Glaze
Ingredients
The Duck
- 2 pounds of boneless duck breast (D’Artagnan is an excellent resource)
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds
- 1 tablespoon thinly sliced green scallion tips
Sauce
- 3 cups sake
- 3/4 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup mirin
- 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
- 1 cup dashi
Rice
- 3 cups cooked Japanese short grain, cooled, seasoned
Instructions
Servings: 4
Make the Sauce
Bring all the ingredients to a boil over medium heat, lower heat to maintain a simmer and reduce until beginning to foam and slightly syrupy. Cool and store sauce if the consistency of syrup is there. If not, simmer a tad more and cool, testing again.
Grill the Duck
Over indirect heat, preheat a pan large enough to hold the duck breasts on your grill. Score the duck breasts to promote even cooking, for an attractive presentation, acceptable rendering of fat and to prevent curling. Add oil, and when aromatic and rippling, lay the duck breasts into the pan. Slowly sear fat-side down for 10-15 minutes or until fat is crisped and rendered (duck should still be rare). Flip the duck breasts over and grill flesh side down for a few minutes. Return duck to pan and add 1/3 cup of the cooked sauce and simmer duck for a minute until sauce is tight and duck is glazed. Slice and serve around a portion of grilled rice (instructions below), garnishing with the sesame seeds and scallion.
Rice
Take 3 cups cooked Japanese short grain rice (it should be cooled and seasoned), and gently stuff into 4 or 6 small greased metal ring molds. Brush tops with grapeseed or peanut oil, and grill to heat through on both sides. Slide molds off when plating.
