Proper Chinese Duck Breast with Plum Sauce

Charmaine Lu -
  • 2 x skin-on duck breasts, skin scored
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • ½ tbsp veg oil
  • Rice and stir-fried greens, to serve
  • For the Sauce
  • 160g pitted plums, sliced
  • 1 star anise
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • 20g sliced ginger
  • 4 peeled garlic cloves
  • 30g jaggery or brown sugar
  • ½ lemon, zest pared
  • 2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
  • 2 tbsp soy sauce
  • Rub the soy sauce into the duck breasts. Heat the oil in a frying pan and sear the duck breasts, skin-side down, until golden and crisp. Flip over and cook for 5 mins more, then remove to a plate and set aside.
  • Add the sliced plums, cinnamon, star anise, ginger, sugar, garlic and lemon zest to the pan. Pour in the rice wine vinegar and soy sauce, add 200ml water, and gently stir while simmering for 15 mins. Add the duck breasts to the sauce, skin-side up, and cook covered for 15 mins.
  • Season the sauce with a pinch of salt, then remove the breasts from the pan and slice on the diagonal. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a clean pan, then pour the strained sauce over the duck breasts to serve with rice and greens. Delicious!
40 mins
2 serving