Barbecued Duck Breasts
Barbecued duck breasts is an easy hot dish for alfresco entertaining.
They make a very yummy alternative to chicken and are a good idea if you want to impress guests or give the family something different for a change.
If you want to - and have the time - you can marinade them beforehand to give an extra flavour boost to the dish. However, they are great grilled just as they are too.
Use breasts with the skin still on them.
Marinade for 2 - 4 breasts
- The juice of a large orange
- A tablespoonful of runny honey
- A tablespoonful of vegetable oil
- A good pinch of dried chilli flakes
Method
- Put the breasts over hot embers, with the skin side down.
- Grill like this for 10 - 15 minutes, only turning the other way for a minute or two of this time. This will make the skin crispy and also prevent the meat from drying out too much.
- Cook until the meat is done to your liking. You can leave the meat pink, but not red rare.
- Slice and serve.
Serving suggestion
To accompany this dish I often put together a salad using a variety of different lettuce leaves, some crisp radish quarters, a few thin red onion rings and the segments of an orange or two. It's nice if you have time to remove each orange segment from its membrane coating too. This is quite easy using a small sharp knife.
If speed is of the essence, I simply use fresh, peppery watercress or rocket leaves, dressed with a little oil and fresh orange juice.
Then I might also serve a warm potato salad or simply some good bread for those who demand carbs!
Duck is a richer fowl than chicken so light salads without too much mayo are a good choice - or you can opt for green vegetables of course.
