Spring in Madrid is brief and precious: three weeks when green asparagus, fresh peas and the first strawberries share the basket. This orange-lacquered duck breast recipe, designed for 4, captures exactly that moment. It's the dish I serve these weeks at my private dinners, and it reproduces beautifully in any home kitchen.
Ingredients for 4 people
Market produce, simple, exacting:
- ◆2 Aquitaine duck breasts, about 350 g each
- ◆1 bunch of thin green asparagus (preferably from the Maresme)
- ◆300 g shelled fresh peas
- ◆2 juicing oranges (blood oranges if you can find them)
- ◆40 g orange-blossom honey
- ◆1 tablespoon of Sherry vinegar
- ◆20 g cold butter
- ◆Fleur de sel, Sarawak pepper
The duck breast: getting the cook right
Take the breasts out of the fridge 30 minutes ahead. Score the fat in a crosshatch with a sharp knife, without cutting into the flesh. Season the flesh side.
Place the breasts fat-side down in a cold pan. Cook over medium heat for 8 minutes: the fat must render slowly and the skin turn golden and crisp. Pour off the rendered fat every 2 minutes and reserve. Flip and cook 3 minutes flesh-side down. Rest on a rack for 8 minutes before slicing.
The orange-honey sauce
In the same pan, discard the fat, keep the juices. Pour in the juice of both oranges, the honey and the Sherry vinegar. Reduce over high heat for 4 minutes to a syrupy texture. Off the heat, whisk in the cold butter in small cubes. Adjust seasoning.
The garnish: vegetable precision
Peel the last 4 cm of the asparagus tips. Plunge them into well-salted boiling water for 3 minutes, then into iced water. Sauté for 2 minutes in a knob of butter just before serving.
Cook the peas for 90 seconds in the same asparagus water. Keep warm with a drizzle of olive oil.
Plating
Slice each breast into 1 cm escalopes against the grain. Fan them in the centre of the plate. Lay the asparagus parallel and scatter the peas. Spoon two tablespoons of orange reduction over the meat. Finish with fleur de sel, pepper and, if you like, a piece of candied orange peel.
A short recipe, demanding on produce but accessible in technique. It's exactly the kind of dish I cook in my Madrid clients' homes when they ask for a spring evening — no ostentation, real precision.
FAQ
Yes: duck supreme, roast lamb shoulder, or even a fine Iberian pork loin. The orange-honey sauce works with all of them.
A lightly chilled Burgundian Pinot Noir, or a young Spanish Garnacha (Rioja Alta or Calatayud) with enough fruit to match the orange.
The sauce can be made 2 hours ahead and warmed gently. Blanched vegetables keep cold and are sautéed at the last moment. The meat, however, is cooked just before serving.
