Duck Breast with Wilted Chard and Orange Sauce

by | May 24, 2019 | Cast Iron Cooking, Main Dishes, Sauces

Duck Breast with Wilted Chard and Orange Sauce

Succulent duck breast cooked with a little bacon and served over wilted chard. An orange reduction sauce to top along with some green onions and mushrooms make this a beautifully elegant dish to serve for dinner with friends.
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CourseMain Course
CuisineAmerican
KeywordDuck, Kale, Orange
Prep Time1 hour
Cook Time45 minutes
Total Time1 hour 45 minutes
Servings6 People
Calories166kcal

Ingredients

Duck and Chard

  • 3 ea Duck Breasts Vacuum packed, thawed.
  • 2 bunches Chard Red or Green, trimmed
  • 8 oz fresh sliced mushrooms
  • 1 cup cut green onions
  • 2 ea Sliced Bacon 2 strips

Orange Sauce

  • 1 tbsp light brown sugar
  • .25 cup white wine vinegar.
  • 1 cup Orange Juice Fresh
  • 1 cup Chicken Stock
  • 2 tbsp Orange Zest About 2 oranges
  • 1 tbsp salted butter
  • 1 ea Orange Segments

Instructions

Duck and Chard

  • Wash and dry the chard thoroughly. Cut chard with a sharp knife removing the leaves from the stems. Set aside and discard the stems.
  • Preheat Oven to 350 F. Remove duck breasts from package and place on cutting board fat side up. With a sharp knife score through the fat on diagonals making a criss-cross pattern. Salt and pepper to taste.
  • Place breasts in a cold pan fat side down with 1 strip of the bacon, and turn the heat to medium. Cook until the breasts are browned an the bacon is rendered. Flip the breasts and cook for an additional 2 minutes. Transfer to the oven for an additional 8 minutes. Remove to cutting board and let sit.
  • Return the skillet to a medium heat. Add Chard to wilt and place on serving Platter. Add remaining bacon strip to skillet and saute mushrooms and onions.
  • Slice duck breasts on a bias and arrange on top of the chard. Spoon orange sauce on top, reserving the slices for decoration / topping. Top with sauteed mushrooms and onions. Arrange orange slices to suit.

Orange Sauce

  • In a small skillet, whisk the sugar and vinegar together and bring to a boil. Boil for 3 to 4 minutes till the sugar is dissolved. Add the orange juice, reduce heat, and reduce the mixture by half.
  • Add the chicken stock to the pan, and continue cooking till reduced by half again.
  • Stir in the orange zest and cook for 3 minutes. Whisk in the butter the add the orange slices.

Notes

  1. Prep the Chard first and let it dry out a bit.
  2. Do the orange sauce next. This can stay on a low heat while cooking everything else.
  3. Get the duck prepared and cooked while the sauce is reducing. Let it set for 10 minutes.
  4. Cook the Chard. This essentially gets stir fried in the remaining duck / bacon fat remaining in the skillet after it comes out of the oven. It wilts pretty quick and if you don't pull it off in time you get something akin to canned spinach as a result. It should have some crunch left in it.
  5. After the Chard is removed, add the extra bacon and do the mushrooms and onions.
  6. The duck should be a slight pink on the inside when sliced.
  7. Ours was served with rice. That needs to be started along with the sauce.

Nutrition Information

Nutrition Facts
Duck Breast with Wilted Chard and Orange Sauce
Amount Per Serving
Calories 166 Calories from Fat 81
% Daily Value*
Fat 9g14%
Saturated Fat 1g6%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0.04g
Monounsaturated Fat 0.02g
Cholesterol 65mg22%
Sodium 224mg10%
Potassium 197mg6%
Carbohydrates 10g3%
Fiber 2g8%
Sugar 7g8%
Protein 12g24%
Vitamin A 500IU10%
Vitamin C 37.1mg45%
Calcium 30mg3%
Iron 0.9mg5%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.