Thai Pink Duck Curry – RecipeTin Eats

There’s one thing magical in regards to the mixture of wealthy duck meat and Thai pink curry! This duck curry recipe options duck breast with golden pores and skin served in a coconut pink curry sauce. Add lychees or pineapples for a really particular dish that’s to die for!

* THAT IS NOT A PRAWN/SHRIMP within the photograph! It’s the outlet in a lychee the place the seed was eliminated! 😂 *

Thai pink duck curry

I just lately loved an exquisite Thai pink duck curry at certainly one of my favorite Thai eating places right here in Sydney, Khao Pla in Chatswood, and it impressed me to make my very own. The wealthy flavour of duck meat, with the pink curry sauce, the burst of candy juice from the lychees and freshness from the herbs is a kind of consuming experiences that I hope everybody tries at the very least as soon as of their life!

Plus, as a lot as I like my dependable Hen Pink Curry, duck is particular. I’ve at all times considered it as a luxurious merchandise and I like that duck meat is extra readily accessible at grocery retailer today. Whereas it’s dearer than hen, making Duck Curry at residence prices, by tough calculations, round 70% cheaper than at a pleasant Thai restaurant the place small bowl can fetch upwards of $30.

Components in Thai Pink Duck Curry

Right here’s what you must make duck curry. This recipe requires 3 duck breasts totalling 500g/1 lb which makes sufficient curry to serve 4 to five individuals.

1. Duck breast

I’ve eaten and seen duck curry recipes made with all types of cuts – entire duck, Marylands (thigh and bone) and breast. Some recipe begin with a cooked Chinese language BBQ duck whereas others use a confit methodology, and a few steam/roast/then fry the duck.

I’ve opted for duck breast – straightforward to prepare dinner, comparatively straightforward to get and since I like biting into the wealthy tender slices of duck smothered within the curry sauce.

The place to search out duck breast – As of late in Australia it’s pretty widespread at massive grocery shops in addition to contemporary produce shops and butchers. Search for pores and skin on boneless breast. It prices greater than hen (~$18 for 500g / 1 lb), but it surely’s particular! A luxurious product reserved for Thai royalty! (So I’m instructed by a Thai chef who helped out at RTM a few weeks in the past 😊)

See FAQ for different duck cuts I’ve seen used, and why I didn’t go for them for this recipe.

2. Lychees or pineapples!

To me, lychees are additional particular as a result of the season is so fleeting and I like how the pearly white balls look towards the pink curry. Nonetheless, I’d by no means hesitate to make use of pineapple as an alternative – ideally contemporary, else canned.

And – tip for you – Asian branded lychees are literally very, superb! I used to be taken unexpectedly.

3. thai pink curry sauce

You should use home made pink curry paste or retailer purchased, which is what I’ve opted for. If utilizing home made, you will want slightly additional fish sauce (as a result of retailer purchased is nicely seasoned already).

• Pink curry paste – It’s fairly nicely doc on this web site: Maesri is my most popular! Most cost-effective and most genuine flavour of manufacturers you’ll find at (most) grocery shops with out digging at the hours of darkness corners of Asian shops. I additionally like that one can(115g / 1/2 cup) is the proper quantity to make a curry utilizing 1 can of coconut milk.

  Discover it at massive grocery shops right here in Australia (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms) and in Asian shops (it’s a staple merchandise).

• Garlic and ginger – Including these offers the shop purchased curry paste a freshness enhance to make it extra like home made pink curry paste. It actually makes a distinction! (Be aware: ordinarily I exploit lemongrass however I didn’t really feel it added a lot in duck curry as a result of duck meat is richer in flavour than hen. So I ended up taking it out of the components.)

• Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have higher flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water. Ayam is my default (89% coconut). Full fats please! Low fats is thinner and has much less coconut flavour.

• Makrut lime leaves – For genuine Thai curry flavour! Imparts a particular earthy/herby contemporary lime flavour into sauces. Pretty accessible today at massive grocery shops and Asian shops. They freeze 100% completely which is useful. (Be aware: previously often called kaffir lime leaves. The identify has been modified as a result of racial associations.) See FAQ for makes use of for leftover lime leaves. Can’t discover contemporary? Nonetheless price making with dried! Although it’s price making a little bit of effort to search out contemporary.

• Fish sauce – That is used because the salt in pink curry. Extra flavour than plain salt!

• Sugar – For the suitable contact of sweetness you discover in pink curry sauce.

4. herbs and beans

Thai basil is the basic herb used for Thai cooking, however you’ll be able to substitute with common basil. The beans can be substituted with different greens – I selected it for color and form.

• Pink chilli – For optionally available garnish. Use massive ones for much less warmth and small Birds Eye or Thai Chillis if you’re a spice monster (or declare you’re).

• Thai basil – A basic contemporary herb utilized in Thai cooking, it tastes like common basil with a barely stronger aniseed and barely minty flavour. These days it’s pretty extensively obtainable in Australia in massive grocery shops and inexperienced grocers (Coles, Woolies, Harris Farms), however significantly better worth in Asian shops! Substitute with common basil (I’ve finished so and it’s nonetheless firm worthy).

• Coriander/cilantro – For garnish, Not very important!

• Inexperienced beans – I selected this as I believed the inexperienced color would look good within the pink sauce. Snake beans (Asian lengthy beans) are additionally on level, although really, you need to use any vegetable you need that you simply assume will work with pink curry sauce. Cherry tomatoes appears widespread however I really feel like with lychees, it’s numerous same-same shiny balls floating in a single dish!

Find out how to make Thai Pink Duck Curry

This duck curry recipe is definitely very easy and has a pleasant workflow to it. When you begin cooking, you’ll be able to have it on the desk in half-hour:

1. Duck breast – pan seared to render the fats and crisp the pores and skin (10 minutes), completed within the oven (8 minutes) then rested (5 minutes) earlier than slicing.

2. Pink curry sauce – prep the components whereas the duck is within the pan (it’s palms off), then begin the sauce and have it simmering whereas the duck is within the oven.

3. Serve – the sauce and duck needs to be prepared across the identical time, able to plate up and serve!

1. cooking the duck breast

Each duck and hen are poultry, however duck is structurally completely different. Due to this, duck breast cooked to medium uncommon is sort of a stunning steak – tender, wealthy and juicy. Then again, we might by no means eat hen breast medium uncommon. Chewy! Rubbery!

Be aware: full duck breast cooking explanations obtained prolonged, so I moved it to a separate put up. I determine it is going to be useful for future use! See Find out how to Prepare dinner Duck Breast.

1. Slash pores and skin – Use a pointy knife to make 5 to six diagonal slashes throughout the pores and skin of the duck, taking care to not reduce into the pink flesh. Don’t reduce from edge-to-edge, you need the pores and skin to remain in a single piece however simply make slashes within the center.

   Then pat the pores and skin dry with paper towels and sprinkle salt and pepper on either side.

2. COLD pan with NO OIL – Don’t flip the range on but. Place the duck pores and skin facet down in an unheated oven-proof pan with none oil. The pan might be forged iron, non-stick, or a daily pan.

3. Overwhelm for flat pores and skin – Place one other pan on prime of the duck to weigh it down, not a forged iron one although, it’s slightly too heavy. That is to stop the pores and skin from curling and wrinkling.

4. Prepare dinner on low 10 minutes – Now you’ll be able to flip the range on! Low if it’s a powerful range, or medium low if it’s a weak burner. The extra slowly you prepare dinner the duck, the extra fats you’ll render out which suggests crispier pores and skin. It’s low upkeep too, as a result of it’s low warmth.

5. Fats begins to render – After a couple of minutes, take a peek and also you’ll see fats has began to soften out of the duck.

6. A lot duck fats! At across the 5 to 7 minute mark, your complete pan can be lined in duck fats.

   Maintain the pan weight on till across the 7 minute mark when the pores and skin has began to go golden and has “set”. Whereas it’s nonetheless comfortable, it might probably nonetheless wrinkle/curl = rubbery patches = 😭

7. Golden crispy pores and skin! Maintain cooking till the pores and skin as a result of golden and crispy, across the 10 minute mark, or longer. You’ll be able to flip the warmth up in the direction of the top, as soon as there’s a number of fats within the pan.

8. End in oven – When the pores and skin is golden, flip and prepare dinner the flesh facet for simply 1 minute to seal. Then switch the pan to at 180°C/350°F oven (160°C fan-forced) and roast for 8 minutes or till the inner temperature is 60°C/140°F which is medium ie. mild blush of pink. For medium uncommon (deep pink, like steak), intention for 54°C/130°F (6 minutes).

   Don’t fear should you go over, duck breast is nice even absolutely cooked to 68°C/154.4°F (ie no pink in any respect, like hen breast). Suppose – Chinese language BBQ duck. Totally cooked, and scrumptious!

9. Relaxation – Then place the duck on a rack set over a plate, or only a plate, and go away it uncovered to relaxation for at the very least 5 minutes whilst you end the sauce.

10. Slice the duck breast simply shy of 5mm / 0.2″ thick. Do that simply earlier than putting it within the curry sauce. It will probably relaxation for nicely past 5 minutes as a result of the flesh warms up as soon as positioned within the scorching sauce.

2. pink curry sauce

The important thing step right here is to prepare dinner off the curry paste, whether or not utilizing home made or retailer purchased. It makes an enormous distinction to enhance flavour. For those who simply stir it into liquid, the flavour is so unimpressive!

1. Prepare dinner off curry paste – Sauté the curry paste with the ginger and garlic for 4 to five minutes over medium warmth. The curry paste can be fairly moist at first however will dry out and deepen in color which improves the flavour of the curry sauce.

2. Sauce – Add the hen inventory first and simmer to scale back by half. Then add the coconut milk, fish sauce, sugar and lime leaves (crush in palms to launch flavour). Stir to mix then simmer for two minutes.

3. Inexperienced beans (or different veg) – Add the beans and simmer for 3 minutes till they’re nearly tender. (If utilizing different greens, add them in based mostly on the prepare dinner time).

4. Lychees or pineapples – Then stir the lychees or pineapple in and simmer for simply 1 minute simply to heat it although fairly than prepare dinner it till comfortable. And simply earlier than serving, stir the Thai Basil leaves in (it wilts shortly and, like common basil, darkens in color with extended publicity to warmth).

5. Plating up – Although we’re not aiming for tremendous crispy duck pores and skin on this dish, I nonetheless prefer to serve it with many of the pores and skin above the sauce line as a result of it will get much less soggy than stirring it although. Visible function as nicely.

   So I put a little bit of sauce within the base of a serving bowl then lay the duck breast on prime, fanning the slices out barely to show the gorgeous pink flesh. Then I spoon the remainder of the curry sauce, lychees and many others across the duck breast. Or, I gently place the sliced duck into the pan with the sauce in it, as pictured beneath.

6. Garnishes and serve! As with many South East Asian dishes, garnishes not solely add pretty color but in addition additional flavour! Further Thai basil, coriander/cilantro and slices of pink chilli.

Take a look at it. It’s so stunning! A riot of color, the unmissable pearly balls for lychees, the golden duck pores and skin peeking out above the pink coconut curry sauce, and the trace of pink flesh on present which screams “I’m so tender and juicy, no dry duck right here!!”.

Take it to the desk with satisfaction together with jasmine rice that you simply steamed earlier (regardless of a sure meals blogger not together with that instruction as step 1). Gesture grandly* and stand again for a second to present your viewers time to reward and lavish you with exclamations of appreciation earlier than graciously permitting individuals to dig in! – Nagi x

* If you’re extra mature than me, you’ll be able to skip this half.

PS See FAQ beneath for urged sides to finish a Thai menu!

Watch the right way to make it

Hungry for extra? Subscribe to my e-newsletter and comply with alongside on Fb, Pinterest and Instagram for the entire newest updates.

Thai pink duck curry

Writer: Nagi

Prep: 15 minutes minutes

Prepare dinner: 30 minutes minutes

Most important

Thai

Servings4 – 5 as a principal

Faucet or hover to scale

Recipe video above. There’s one thing magical in regards to the mixture of wealthy duck meat and Thai pink curry! This duck curry recipe options duck breast with golden pores and skin that is thickly sliced and served in a coconut pink curry sauce. Add lychees or pineapples for a really particular dish that is to die for!Be aware: the duck pores and skin would not keep tremendous crispy given the saucy atmosphere it leads to. I prefer to serve the duck with many of the pores and skin above the sauce line so it would not go utterly soggy, although if that does not hassle you it is also good to stir the duck slices all through the sauce. Your alternative!

Components

CupsMetric

Lychees or pineapple – CHOOSE ONE:

Prepare dinner ModeForestall display from sleeping

Directions

ABBREVIATED RECIPE:

• Slash duck pores and skin, season. Chilly pan, no oil, 10 min medium low (overwhelm duck) till golden. Reserve 3 tbsp fats. End in oven 8 min (goal 60°C/140°F, medium), relaxation. Sauté curry paste in duck fats with garlic and ginger, add inventory, scale back by half, add coconut, fish sauce, sugar, lime leaves, simmer 2 min. Add beans, simmer 3 min, add lychees or pineapple, simmer 2 min. Slice duck, serve!

Crispy golden duck breast:

• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced).

• Rating – Sprinkle half the salt and pepper on the flesh of the duck. Flip. Use a pointy knife to make 5 or 6 diagonal scores on the pores and skin of the breast. Do not pierce the flesh and do not reduce all the best way to the sting of the pores and skin (Be aware 8). Pat the pores and skin dry with paper towels, sprinkle with remaining salt and pepper.

• Chilly pan, no oil – Do not flip the range on but. Use an oven-proof pan (any sort). Place the duck pores and skin facet down within the chilly pan, no oil required. Place one other pan on prime to frivolously weigh the duck down (retains pores and skin flat).

• Prepare dinner 10 minutes – Flip the range onto medium low. Prepare dinner for 10 minutes or till the pores and skin is golden and crispy. Fats will soften out of the duck pores and skin and it’ll prepare dinner in its personal fats. (Be aware 8)

• Reserve duck fats – Pour off 2 to three tablespoons of the duck fats into the pan you’ll use to make the curry sauce.

• Oven 8 minutes – As soon as the pores and skin is crispy, flip and prepare dinner the flesh facet for 1 minute. Then switch the pan to the oven for 8 minutes or till the inner temperature is 60°C/140°F (medium, Be aware 9)

• Relaxation – Switch to a rack or plate and relaxation for five minutes till able to assemble the curry.

Thai pink curry sauce:

• Sauté curry paste – Warmth the duck fats (from step 6 above) on medium warmth in a deep skillet. Prepare dinner the curry paste, garlic and ginger for 4 to five minutes. It’s going to dry out and darken in color, and considerably improves the flavour (particularly retailer purchased, however even home made).

• Sauce – Add hen inventory, stir, then simmer quickly to scale back by half (2 -3 minutes). Stir in coconut milk, hand-crushed kaffir lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce. Simmer gently on medium for two minutes.

• Add ins – Add the beans, simmer for 3 minutes till simply cooked. Add the lychees or pineapple, simmer 1 minute. Style and add a tad additional fish sauce if it wants salt.

Assemble:

• Spoon some sauce in to cowl the bottom of a big deep platter or huge bowl.

• Slice duck breast, simply shy of 5mm / 0.2″ thick. Place on the sauce, fanning it out barely to show the pink flesh.

• Remaining sauce – Spoon the remaining sauce, lychees and many others across the duck, avoiding the duck pores and skin.

• Garnish with Thai basil leaves, coriander, chilli and lime wedges.

• Serve – Take to the desk with flourish and serve with jasmine rice!

Recipe Notes:

Recipe based mostly on my Thai Pink Curry recipe, impressed by Khao Pla’s Duck Curry and the Thai Pink Duck Curry with Lychees in Tony Tan’s stunning new cookbook Tony Tan’s Asian Cooking Class.

---

1. Duck breast – Pretty available at massive grocery shops today, plus butchers. Additionally see How To Prepare dinner Duck Breast for extra detailed info on the why of the duck breast cooking methodology.
I exploit 3 breasts as a result of 2 shouldn’t be fairly sufficient meat for the quantity of sauce which makes a amount based mostly on a neat 1 can of coconut milk and 1 can of Maesri curry paste (Be aware 2).
2. Curry paste – My place on the perfect retailer purchased Thai pink curry is pretty nicely documented on this web site! Maesri is the perfect – there’s simply no query, at the very least, for available ones. Discover it at Woolies, Harris Farms, Asian shops and on-line (Australia). (Abroad – Amazon and Asian shops).
3. Grating – Use a microplane or just like grate it finely so it mixes in very well with the curry paste. Spruces up retailer purchased paste to make it style like home made.
4. Coconut milk – Not all coconut milk is created equal! Good ones are made with 85%+ coconut so have higher flavour. Economical ones are diluted with water. Ayam is my default (89% coconut). Full fats please! Low fats is thinner and has much less coconut flavour.
5. Makrut lime leaves (see in put up for former identify) – pretty accessible today at massive grocery shops and Asian shops. They freeze 100% completely. See FAQ for makes use of for leftover lime leaves (I’ve a good few!) For those who can’t discover contemporary, nonetheless price making with dried (although please attempt to get contemporary, it imparts particular flavour into the sauce!)
6. Thai Basil has a slight aniseed flavour. Signature herb for Thai pink curry so strive to not skip it. Italian basil can be utilized as a really respectable substitute – I typically do!
7. Canned lychees and pineapples are completely acceptable should you get a great model. Asian canned lychees are fairly good, in my view.
8. Duck ideas – Slashing pores and skin lets fats render out for higher crispy pores and skin. Keep away from slicing the flesh – should you do, juice will come out and the pores and skin gained’t be absolutely crisp. Don’t slash pores and skin all the best way to the sting, preserve it in a single piece (see images in put up). In case your duck has a very thick layer of fats (some American breeds do), rating diagonally – additional slashes = extra fats comes out.
Cooking on low warmth = extra fats renders out = crispier pores and skin + much less fats in finish dish (an excessive amount of duck fats might be rubbery and too fatty). So don’t rush this step!
9. Duck doneness – Medium is my most popular for curry, mild blushing pink, tender and juicy. You’ll be able to go as little as medium uncommon (assume – steak!) – inside temperature X. Don’t fret should you go over – duck breast remains to be nice even absolutely cooked at X.
Leftovers will preserve for 3 to 4 days within the fridge. Freezes okay! 3 months, thaw, then gently reheat.
Greatest technique to make forward (deliberately) – Maintain duck breast entire, absolutely cool, put in containers. Make sauce however do NOT put lychees or basil in. Cool, container. Fridge for each. Day of, pull out of fridge, slice due. Heat sauce, add lychees, simmer 1 min. Stir duck slices in, allow them to heat up gently, stir in basil leaves. SERVE! Doesn’t look the identical as in images as slices are stirred in and pores and skin shouldn’t be uncovered, however all of the flavour is there. Some would possibly argue that is even higher as a result of each duck slice is coated in sauce. 🙂 In truth, most eating places serve it this fashion. 
Leftovers retains for 3 days within the fridge, or freezer for 3 months. It doesn’t hassle me in any respect if the duck pores and skin is sauced up. In truth, the sauce protects the meat from drying out. Warmth gently so the duck doesn’t get massively overcooked. 
Diet assuming 5 servings – calculating now! Calculated making a conservative allowance of 5 tablespoons of duck fats that leads to the completed dish (ie the fats poured off a used for cooking plus fats remaining beneath pores and skin). Excludes rice. 

Diet Info:

Energy: 435cal (22%)Carbohydrates: 9g (3%)Protein: 22g (44%)Fats: 35g (54%)Saturated Fats: 21g (131%)Polyunsaturated Fats: 3gMonounsaturated Fats: 9gLdl cholesterol: 90mg (30%)Sodium: 558mg (24%)Potassium: 497mg (14%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 6g (7%)Vitamin A: 3717IU (74%)Vitamin C: 21mg (25%)Calcium: 55mg (6%)Iron: 8mg (44%)

Key phrases: duck breast recipe, duck curry, Thai pink curry

Did you make this recipe?I like listening to the way you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @recipe_tin.

Lifetime of Dozer

Dozer and I are doing a fundraiser on the native vet hospital this Sunday! It’s at SASH in Ryde (Small Animal Speciality Hospital), and it’s the vet that saved Dozer’s life this time final 12 months.

SASH reached out to ask if I’d assist elevate cash for Sophie’s Legacy, a charity that goals to scale back suicide amongst veterinarians. It’s 4x the nationwide common, among the many highest suicide charges of all professions. I used to be shocked and saddened studying about it and the causes of it – lack of business psychological well being assist, shopper abuse, overworked, understaffed and individuals who simply give a rattling a lot who see and do extra issues than you or I might ever think about. Like – placing down wholesome canine as a result of the proprietor can not afford a knee surgical procedure (this can be a robust one), or is transferring away and can’t be “bothered” to re-home their pet, or happening a protracted journey and doesn’t wish to pay for boarding.

Sure, this occurs. And I’m instructed that legally, a vet has to do as requested by the proprietor as a result of pets are the property of the proprietor.

As you might need guessed, Sophie’s Legacy is a charity arrange by the dad and mom of a younger veterinarian who sadly took her personal life. Their aim is to supply psychological well being assist for vets to scale back suicide within the occupation.

Dozer and I are doing a guide signing this weekend the place attendees are making a donation for every guide signed. Sadly, the occasion crammed up too quick earlier than I used to be capable of share it right here on my web site! Nonetheless, there’s a ready record (be part of it right here), so I can gauge numbers for different choices.

For those who can not make the occasion however want to donate you are able to do so right here – and Sophie’s household and I thanks to your generosity. It’s also possible to signal the petition right here to foyer the federal government for change.

Additionally, Dozer is donation matching – greenback for greenback, hoping to succeed in our aim of $20,000 throughout each the SASH occasion and thru the Sophie’s Legacy donation web page. He’s utilizing his life financial savings – nearly 13 years! 🥰

Devoted to Dr. Sophie Putland, a daughter, a sister, a pal, and a beloved vet, who tragically took her personal life in September 2021, and to all of the fantastic devoted vets of the world who accomplish that a lot to look after our pets.