Duck breast lacquered with honey and soy sauce

Here is a simple recipe proposal to make, which will make you travel to China from your kitchen: the duck breast lacquered with honey and soy sauce. The sweet and savory flavors of this dish are a perfect match for the duck meat. Be sure to use a good vacuum package for your meat to preserve its freshness and quality. This will contribute to the success of the dish!

Duck breast lacquered with honey and soy sauce, an Asian dish

Originally from Asia, more precisely from Beijing, China, the duck breast lacquered with honey and soy sauce was introduced in France in the 1980s. This recipe highlights the sweet and savory flavors, distinctive of Chinese cuisine. This involves spreading a sweet and sour sauce on the duck meat before cooking it, resulting in a tender yet crispy consistency.

The French chefs, in order to offer an original version of this specialty, have revisited the Chinese lacquering technique by integrating Western flavors, such as honey.

Honey in the kitchen, but not only!

Since ancient times, honey has been considered a symbol of healing and prosperity, and has been used in cooking for its nutritional benefits and especially for its aromatic properties. The Egyptians used it to treat infections and burns. The Greeks and Romans used it
were also used for its curative virtues. Therefore, Hippocrates, the most famous physician of ancient Greece, wanted to include in his writings the therapeutic properties of honey.

Let’s get back to the kitchen! The texture of the mile, both thick and sticky, contributes to the fusion of the ingredients together. In addition to its natural sweetness, it also has antibacterial and antioxidant properties, making it effective in food preservation.

Recipe for duck breast lacquered with honey and soy sauce

For four people, you will need the following ingredients:

• 2 duck breasts
• 5 tablespoons of acacia honey
• 5 tablespoons of soy sauce
• 1 small onion
• 2 cloves of garlic
• a few sprigs of thyme
• 1 tablespoon of white vinegar
• olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch
• pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C.
Chop the onion and crush the garlic.
In a bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce, white vinegar, olive oil, thyme, onion, garlic and cornstarch. Add pepper to taste and mix.
Dip the duck breasts in the marinade and marinate for 20 minutes.
Remove the duck breasts from the marinade. Keep the marinade to make the sauce.

In a hot pan, add olive oil and cook the duck breasts skin side down for about 5 minutes, until the skin is golden brown.
Turn the duck breasts over and cook the other side for 2 minutes.
Remove the duck breasts from the pan and place them in an oven dish… Bake for about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, pour the marinade into the pan and let it simmer over medium heat for 5 minutes.
When the duck breasts are cooked, remove them from the oven and let them rest for a few minutes before slicing them.
Serve them sliced with the sauce.

Serve the duck breasts with honey and soy sauce with Chinese pancakes, green onions and hoisin sauce. This is a traditional Chinese method of serving this dish!

Nevertheless, other alternatives of accompaniment are possible.
You can also serve it with rice, green vegetables or noodles.

Enjoy your meal!