Sticky Honey Soy Duck Stir-Fry with Plums
- Savory
- Asian
- Stovetop
- Oven
Duck slices glazed in a glossy honey-soy sauce with jammy plums, served over rice. Sweet, savory and not spicy.
- Total
- 45 min
- Prep 15 · Cook 25 · Rest 5
- Serves
- 2
- Difficulty
- Medium
You'll practice: Rendering fat · Absorption rice
Instructions
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Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs mostly clear. Put it in the small saucepan with 300 ml water and 0.25 tsp salt. Bring to a boil, then cover and cook on low for 15 minutes, until the water is absorbed. Take off the heat and let it stand covered for 5 minutes.
~20 min
Rinsing removes surface starch so the grains stay separate, and the covered rest lets residual steam finish cooking them evenly.
Absorption rice Rinse the rice until the water runs mostly clear, then cook covered on low without stirring; tilt the pan to check the water is absorbed before resting off the heat.
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While step 1 cooks
While the rice cooks, pat the duck breast dry and score the skin in a 1 cm crosshatch without cutting into the meat. Season both sides with the remaining 0.25 tsp salt and the black pepper.
~5 min
Scoring lets rendered fat escape so the skin crisps, and drying the surface helps it brown rather than steam.
-
While step 1 cooks
Cut the plums in half and remove the stones, then cut each half into 1 cm wedges. Stir the honey and soy sauce together in a small bowl with the star anise.
~5 min
-
Place the duck breast skin-side down in the cold non-stick pan and set it over medium heat. Cook for 8 minutes without moving it, until the skin is deep golden and the fat has rendered. Turn and cook 3 minutes more, until the meat reaches 63°C at the thickest point. Move the duck to a board and rest it for 5 minutes.
~16 min
Starting cold renders the fat gradually so the skin turns crisp instead of scorching, and resting lets juices redistribute so they don't run out when sliced.
Start the duck in a cold pan: the skin renders slowly and turns crisp instead of scorching before the fat melts.
Rendering fat Start the duck skin-side down in a cold pan over medium heat and don't move it; the fat should melt slowly and the skin turn deep golden and crisp, not dark brown before the fat renders.
-
Pour off all but 1 tbsp of the rendered duck fat. Add the plums to the pan and cook for 3 minutes over medium-high heat, until they soften and take on color at the edges.
~3 min
The hot fat helps the plums caramelize at the edges, deepening their sweetness and giving the sauce more flavor.
-
Pour in the honey-soy mixture with the star anise and let it bubble for 1 minute, until it thickens into a glossy glaze. Slice the rested duck across the grain into 1 cm strips, add it to the pan with any resting juices, and toss for 1 minute to coat. Discard the star anise and serve over the rice.
~2 min
Bubbling reduces the sauce so it clings as a glaze, and adding the duck at the end keeps the slices tender instead of overcooking them.
Add the duck back only at the very end. A long simmer after cooking turns the slices grey and tough.
