Description

Pan Grilled Duck Breast with Duck Fat Paprika Potatoes. Use a cast iron pan on your grill to get beautifully seared duck breasts, and then use the leftover fat in the pan for duck fat paprika potatoes as the side.

Ingredients

Scale

4 (8-ounce) duck breasts
2 teaspoons kosher salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground peppercorn blend

Duck fat potatoes

1 ½ pounds russet potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
1 teaspoon paprika (preferably smoked Spanish paprika)

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Instructions

Score and season the duck breasts: Set the duck breasts on a cutting board, skin side up, and score the skin in a ½ inch diamond pattern. Cut a series of parallel lines, ½ inch apart, through the skin and into the fat, but not into the breast meat. Turn the breast 90 degrees, then cut another series of lines ½ inch apart to make a diamond pattern. Repeat on all the duck breasts. Sprinkle both sides evenly with salt and pepper, and let rest at room temperature while preheating the grill.
Par-cook the potatoes: Toss the potatoes with ½ teaspoon of salt in a medium, microwave-safe bowl. Use your hand to make a hole in the center of the pile of potatoes, pushing them to the outside of the bowl. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and microwave until the potatoes are just done, 6 minutes in my 900 watt microwave.
Set the grill up for indirect medium-high heat (400°F) and preheat the pan: Set your grill up for indirect medium heat, and preheat the pan over direct heat. On my charcoal grill, I light a chimney full of charcoal (60 coals), wait for it to be mostly covered in gray ash, then pour it into a tight, single layer over half of the grill. I put the grill grate in the grill, brush it clean with my grill brush, and put the grill pan on the grate directly over the coals. Then, I close the lid and heat the grill pan for five minutes.
On a gas grill, I preheat with all burners on high for 15 minutes. Then I clean the grate with my grill brush, turn off half the burners, and turn the other half down to medium-high. I put the grill pan over the lit burners and heat the pan for five minutes with the lid closed.
Brown the duck breasts in the pan: Move the heated pan to the indirect heat side of the grill, and set the duck breasts in the pan, skin side down, pushing down on them to make sure they have good contact with the pan. Close the lid and cook until the fat is rendered around the edges of the skin, the skin is golden brown, and the duck is 135°F measured in the thickest part with an instant read thermometer for medium-rare duck. (About 10 minutes.)
Sear the duck breasts on the grill: Move the duck breasts out of the pan and onto the grill over direct heat, starting with the skin side up. (This is not the time to go get a tasty beverage - you need to watch the breasts over open flames, especially when they are skin side down - duck fat will create quite a fire.) Grill the breasts for 2 minutes or until the bottom is starting to brown. Flip the duck skin side down and grill until the dripping fat starts flaring up, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Flip the breasts skin side up again and grill until the bottom is nicely browned, about 2 more minutes. (Move them around on the grill if you are getting uncontrolled flare-ups). Then, flip the duck skin side down again and grill until the fat starts to flare up and the skin is browned, for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove the duck to a plate when it reaches 140°F to 145°F internal temperature in the thickest part. Move the duck breasts to a platter.
Brown the potatoes in the duck fat: The pan should have a layer of duck fat in it; carefully slide it over the direct heat part of the grill - you don't want to slosh duck fat onto the open flames. (If you do, slide the pan as far away from the flames as possible and close the lid to smother the fire, then try again.) Pour the par-cooked potatoes into the pan, then arrange them in a single layer with the cut sides down. Cook the potatoes until they are browned and crispy on the bottom for about four minutes, then flip and cook until the second side is browned and crispy for about four more minutes. Remove the potatoes to a bowl with a slotted spoon, letting the excess duck fat drip back into the pan. Sprinkle the potatoes with the teaspoon of smoked Spanish paprika and toss to coat.
Slice and serve: Slice the duck breast crosswise into ½-inch thick slices, serve with the potatoes, and enjoy!