Vivi makes it easy
This is how crispy duck breast succeeds with the “Chefkoch TV” tip
© Mironov Vladimir / Shutterstock
Juicy and tender on the inside, wonderfully crispy on the outside – this is what a delicious duck breast should taste like! To ensure that you can do this at home, editor Vivi makes it easy for you and explains what star chef Alexander Herrmann recommends for a crispy crust on “Chefkoch TV”.
Does the thought of a crispy duck breast make your mouth water? I love them especially Asian with fried rice or stir-fried vegetables, classic with red cabbage and dumplings or with a crispy fresh salad. But other creations can also be prepared with the tender breast, such as Duck breast with mini potato pancakeswhich the candidate Michael served in week one on “Chefchef TV – Tasty doesn’t have to be expensive”.
The “duck breast trick” – that’s how it gets really crispy
No matter which dish you choose, so that the duck breast tastes really delicious, a crispy crust is always the most important thing for me personally. Star chef Alexander Herrmann reveals in episode three on “Chefkoch TV” how a duck breast becomes crispy on the outside and still remains tender on the inside.
Herrmann recommends proceeding as follows for a crispy duck skin:
- Place the prepared duck breast on a cutting board, skin side up.
- Score the skin of the duck breast in a diamond shape with a sharp knife – but be careful: do not cut all the way into the meat!
- Place the skinless duck breasts in a cold pan and fry over high heat for 4-5 minutes until the fat melts and exudes and the skin turns a nice brown colour. The escaping fat ensures that the skin becomes wonderfully crispy.
- Then finish cooking the duck breast either in the pan or in the oven, depending on the recipe.
The secret of the “duck breast trick” is the scoring of the skin. Because this ensures an enlarged surface of the fat structure, so that the duck’s own fat can escape better when roasting and makes the skin particularly crispy. Alexander Herrmann also explains that through the own fat of the duck breast no additional oil is needed in the pan.This saves you more fat at this point and the aroma of the duck can develop fully.
Vivi’s top tip
For particularly tender and well-salted meat, I recommend placing the duck breast in a bowl of salted water for about ten minutes after cutting it. The salt penetrates deep into the meat through osmosis and ensures that additional water gets inside. This means that more liquid remains in the duck breast during cooking and the meat becomes particularly juicy and tender.
By the way: You can find more recipes and cooking tips from Alexander Herrmann and the candidates from “Chefkoch TV – Tasty doesn’t have to be expensive” at chefkoch.de/tv and all episodes can be viewed on RTL+.