Hi everyone, it’s Becca here or you can call me “Hola” if you prefer. I am not a master chef unlike my sister and mom but I saw such a great deal on Duck at my local grocery store that I had to try it. A brand new Giant Eagle Market District has just opened up near my house and I am almost embarrassed to admit that I have visited 3 times in the past 3 days.
My Giant Eagle is absolutely amazing! Everyone is super nice and the best part is, they have live cooking shows inside the store. The chefs are friendly, knowledgeable and super talented. They were making Duck since it was on sale, so I decided to watch their little show and then give it a go for myself.
Ingredients:
- 3 Fresh Duck Breasts (which I bought for $4.99 a pound)
- Salt (Freshly Ground)
- Pepper (Freshly Ground)
- Seasoned Salt
- 2 T. Bacon Fat or Canola Oil
First, take the duck out of the package and blot them on a paper towel. I don’t know if this is 100% necessary, but all that blood grosses me out. Once they are blotted on both sides, you are going to want to score the fatty side. Take a super sharp knife and cut diagonal strips into the fatty side of the duck. Make sure you cut all the way into the fat.
Next, sprinkle some salt, seasoned salt and pepper onto the fatty side of the duck while it is still on the paper towel. Keeping it on the paper towel will prevent a mess of salt and pepper all over your counter, that is, unless you are actually skilled at salting and peppering meat, unlike myself. I waited to season the other side of the duck until I put it in the pan.
Now, toss some bacon grease into a cast iron pan and put it on about medium heat. I used a ramekin full of bacon grease, so I guess that equates to about a two tablespoons. You could also use canola oil or butter. Once your pan is hot, you are going to want to put the duck, fat side down, in your greased up pan. You should hear a very slight sizzle.
Season the non-fatty side of your duck with the same salt, seasoned salt and pepper. Keep the duck on the fatty side for about 6 minutes, I suggest setting a timer. Once the 6 minutes is up, flip it on the other side and cook for another 6 minutes. Then you are going to want to put your pan in a 350 degree preheated oven for about 12 minutes.
Once you take the pan out of the oven, let the meat sit for 5 minutes before cutting into it. If it seems too rare, be patient because it will cook more in the pan. Duck breast is not meant to be eaten well-done, so if this is the only way you like to eat meat, then get off our page because well-done meat eaters are not allowed here! (just kidding, but really why are you here?)
If you have any questions, comments or suggestions about this post, please feel free to let us know in the comment section below. Thanks for reading our blog and be sure to browse all of our recipes on our blog. If you have any recommendations about what you would like us to make next, just let us know!


