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This Thai Pink Curry Duck combines crispy seared duck breast with a wealthy coconut curry sauce, completed with cherry tomatoes and pineapple. I serve it over jasmine rice, topped with sliced duck and garnished with Thai basil, cilantro, chiles, lime, and crispy shallots. Actually, it beats the takeout each time!
Make Thai Pink Curry Duck at Dwelling—Tastes Like Takeout (However Higher!)
After I spent a month in Thailand a number of years in the past (you possibly can learn all about my adventures right here), duck curry rapidly grew to become my absolute favourite dish. Ever since, it is the one factor I all the time should order at any time when I go to a Thai restaurant. It’s surprisingly simple to make at house—particularly with my fastidiously examined, foolproof recipe. Listed below are the important thing highlights that make my recipe stand out from the group:
- Crispy Duck Like a Professional: Many recipes skip the crispy-skin method or depend on pre-cooked duck — however I’ll present you tips on how to make the true factor from scratch, begin to end. My pan-searing methodology ensures ultra-crispy pores and skin, no restaurant wanted. Bonus: you should use this system for any duck breast recipe, not simply purple curry duck.
- Genuine Thai Flavors: This recipe sticks near what I ate in Thailand — utilizing actual Thai purple curry paste, fish sauce, Thai basil, and optionally available kaffir lime leaves. I additionally present recommendations on tips on how to substitute every part with simply accessible options.
- Simple, Restaurant-Worthy: It’s surprisingly doable at house in simply 40 minutes. (Hi there, your new favourite weeknight meal!) And truthfully? It tastes higher than most duck curries I’ve had at eating places. If I need to impress my household and friends, I additionally love making my Thai coconut curry salmon and creamy Thai shrimp soup.
- Duck Fats = Liquid Gold: I reserve some duck fats from searing to sauté the garlic, ginger, and curry paste — it provides the sauce unimaginable richness and depth you gained’t get with oil alone.
- Creamy coconut broth: I make the purple coconut curry broth from scratch utilizing garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, hen broth, and coconut milk, with store-bought purple curry paste—Thai Kitchen is my go-to for its gentle warmth and genuine taste. My favourite half? Including cherry tomatoes and pineapple on the finish for the right sweet-tangy end!
- Garnish Sport Robust: I serve coconut curry duck over jasmine rice and prime it with Thai basil, cilantro, recent chiles, lime wedges, and crispy fried shallots — it’s colourful, aromatic, and stuffed with texture.
Ingredient Notes & Substitutions
- Boneless Pores and skin-On Rooster: In the event you desire hen to duck, be at liberty to swap them out utilizing both boneless skin-on hen breast or thigh. Cook dinner in the identical approach because the duck breast however decrease the period of time you cook dinner both sides.
- Different Proteins: This dish can also be scrumptious with a wonderfully seared steak so go forward and swap the duck breast should you like. You can too use salmon or shrimp. Oh wait, I’ve already made these recipes! Try my Thai-inspired coconut curry salmon and banana coconut curry shrimp.
- Pink Curry Paste: My private favourite model is Thai Kitchen. The primary motive I like it is that it has a milder spice stage, so it would not overpower the dish with an excessive amount of warmth. It is made with substances like lemongrass, garlic, and purple chilies, giving it an unimaginable taste. I exploit it in all my Thai-inspired recipes, like this purple curry hen noodle soup or this fan-favorite Thai shrimp coconut soup.
- Sugar: You should utilize coconut sugar, brown sugar, or rock sugar. I don’t advocate synthetic sweeteners, honey, or agave as it can fully inhibit the flavour of the curry paste and duck.
- Kefir Lime: This can be a tough ingredient to find, so if it’s not accessible in your space you possibly can omit it.
- Tomatoes: If cherry tomatoes will not be accessible, you possibly can substitute them for any very agency, underripe tomato. Slice every tomato into the dimensions of a cherry tomato earlier than inserting it into the curry sauce.
- Recent Pineapple: You might be greater than welcome to make use of recent pineapple! If utilizing rather than canned, be sure to trim the pores and skin, take away the core, and reduce into quartered slices. Use about ¼ of a recent pineapple to interchange the canned pineapple/
- Rice and Noodles: This dish works effectively with different lengthy grain rice comparable to basmati, wild, or brown! I additionally love serving duck curry over rice noodles!
- Basil: You should utilize Italian basil if Thai will not be accessible.
- Fried Onions: Exchange the fried shallots with fried onions should you desire!
- Coconut Milk: You’ll be able to completely make this with a low fats can of coconut milk as a substitute of the complete fats. The consistency of your curry can be a bit extra watery however nonetheless very tasty!
- Professional tip 🙂 : The picture beneath exhibits each single ingredient you’ll want—go forward and screenshot it on your buying record!
How you can Make Thai Pink Curry Duck (Step-by-Step)
Heads up: Right here’s a fast step-by-step preview of the recipe with useful images! For the complete directions and particulars, scroll all the way down to the recipe card beneath.
- Begin by scoring the pores and skin of the duck breasts and seasoning either side with salt and pepper.
- Cook dinner the duck breasts over medium warmth skin-side down in a chilly skillet, uncovered for about 8 minutes till the pores and skin is crisp and browned. Press gently with a spatula for even searing. Tip: Use a splatter display screen to cut back mess with out trapping steam. Take away most of duck fats to a heatproof container at this level.
- Flip and cook dinner the opposite facet for about 5-7 minutes till the interior temperature reaches your most well-liked doneness (135°F for medium-rare, 165°F for well-done). Switch the duck to a heat oven to relaxation.
- Make broth base: Reserve 2 tablespoons of duck fats within the pan. Sauté garlic and ginger briefly, then add Thai purple curry paste and cook dinner till aromatic.
- Stir in fish sauce and sugar, and blend it in.
- Make purple curry coconut broth: Add hen broth, coconut milk and kefir lime leaves, and simmer for a couple of minutes on medium warmth.
- Add cherry tomatoes and pineapple, cooking simply till softened. Modify seasoning to style.
- To serve, spoon the curry over jasmine rice, prime with sliced duck, and garnish with Thai basil, cilantro, chilies, lime wedges, and crispy shallots.
Variations
- Inexperienced Curry: I generally swap purple curry for inexperienced and love the outcomes. Pink curry paste is made with purple chilies, whereas inexperienced curry makes use of inexperienced chilies together with herbs like cilantro, Thai basil, and kaffir lime leaves. I discover inexperienced curry to be brisker and spicier, with a shiny, natural taste, whereas purple curry feels cozier and a bit bolder.
- Vegetarian: You can also make arduous boiled eggs, use tofu, or add extra veggies to interchange the duck breasts! Omit the fish sauce and substitute the hen broth with veggie broth as effectively.
Storage Suggestions
- Fridge: You’ll be able to retailer the cooled curry and duck in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days within the fridge. I like to recommend storing the rice individually so it doesn’t take in all the curry.
- To freeze, place in an hermetic freezer protected container. It might probably stay frozen for as much as 2 months.
Extra Thai-Impressed Recipes
Duck Curry with Cherry Tomatoes & Pineapple (Thai Delicacies)
This Thai Pink Curry Duck combines crispy seared duck breast with a wealthy coconut curry sauce, completed with cherry tomatoes and pineapple. I serve it over jasmine rice, topped with sliced duck and garnished with Thai basil, cilantro, chiles, lime, and crispy shallots. Actually, it beats takeout each time!
Elements
- 4 boneless skin-on duck breasts pat very dry
- salt and pepper to style
- 1 tablespoon ginger minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic minced or 4 minced garlic cloves
- ⅓ cup Thai purple curry paste (I exploit Thai Kitchen model for gentle taste)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar white, brown, or use honey
- ½ cup hen broth add extra on the finish, should you like your curry thinner
- 14 oz full fats coconut milk 400ml can (NOT coconut milk in a carton)
- 2 kefir lime leaves optionally available
- 10 ounces cherry tomatoes
- 5 rings golden canned pineapple quartered (add extra pineapple should you like)
For Serving
- Jasmine rice cooked
- Thai basil leaves
- cilantro chopped and sprigs
- Thai chile roughly chopped
- lime wedges
- fried shallots retailer purchased
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Directions
How you can Pan-Sear Duck Breasts
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Flip your oven to the warming setting.
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Prep the Duck: If utilizing frozen duck breasts, thaw fully and pat dry totally—extra moisture prevents browning. Use a forged iron or chrome steel skillet with an oven-safe deal with. I desire forged iron.
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Rating & Season: Make slits diagonally throughout the pores and skin of every duck breast with a really sharp knife. You'll be able to rating the pores and skin in parallel or crisscross traces (simply by the fats, not into the meat). Season either side generously with salt and pepper—I exploit at the least ½ teaspoon salt - most of it on the pores and skin facet, and a bit much less on the opposite.
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Begin Chilly: Place duck breasts skin-side down in a chilly forged iron skillet. Flip warmth to medium and cook dinner uncovered for about 8 minutes till the pores and skin has turn into crispy and brown. This enables the fats to slowly render with out burning the pores and skin. Use a spatula to press gently for even contact.Tip: A splatter display screen helps management mess with out trapping steam—particularly helpful when cooking in chrome steel.
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Flip & End: After 8 minutes, fastidiously spoon out extra fats (depart simply sufficient to coat the pan) right into a warmth proof bowl or container. Flip the duck and sear the opposite facet for five–7 minutes, or till desired doneness:135°F for medium-rare140°F for medium165°F for effectively achieved
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Relaxation: As soon as achieved, switch duck to a heatproof plate or tray and let relaxation within the heat oven when you put together the curry. This step retains it juicy and tender.
How you can make purple curry
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Including (or reserving) 2 tablespoons of duck fats within the pan, saute the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds, then add the curry paste. Saute till the colour has deepened barely, 2 minutes.
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Add the fish sauce and sugar, and cook dinner till the sugar is dissolved, about 1 minute.
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Flip the warmth to medium, add the hen broth, coconut milk and kefir lime leaves, letting it simmer for about 5 minutes, stirring every part collectively to mix.
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Lastly, add the tomatoes and pineapple, simmering for five extra minutes to melt the tomatoes and pineapple barely.
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Modify the seasoning with salt, pepper, fish sauce, or sugar (or honey) to steadiness the flavors. If the curry is simply too thick to your liking, add a splash of hen broth.
To Serve
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Spoon the curry sauce over a bowl of jasmine rice.
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Slice the duck breast and place every portion into the curry sauce.
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Garnish the curry with Thai basil leaves, cilantro, chopped Thai chiles, lime, and fried shallots!
Notes
- When slicing the duck pores and skin, be sure to not slice during to the meat should you can.
- Even should you over cook dinner your duck breast, it can nonetheless be scrumptious because it’s a really forgiving protein.
- Relying on the curry paste you purchase, it may be fairly salty. If so, you possibly can add extra coconut milk, water, or broth to the curry. Alternatively, you possibly can reduce the quantity of curry paste you employ as effectively.
- The sugar used on this recipe is supposed so as to add steadiness to the extra savory flavors on this dish and won't overpower your palette.
- It’s actually essential to let the duck breasts relaxation earlier than slicing so the proteins can calm down and the juices may be reabsorbed.
You'll need these provides:
- knife
- slicing board
- thermometer
- measuring spoons
- measuring cups
- a heavy bottomed skillet (ideally cast-iron)
- tongs
Be aware concerning the diet:
The dietary data DOES NOT embrace something that you simply use to serve with duck curry:
- Jasmine rice, cooked
- Thai basil leaves
- cilantro, chopped and sprigs
- Thai chile, roughly chopped
- lime wedges
- fried shallots, retailer purchased
Vitamin
Vitamin Info
Duck Curry with Cherry Tomatoes & Pineapple (Thai Delicacies)
Quantity per Serving
% Each day Worth*
* % Each day Values are based mostly on a 2000 calorie weight loss plan.
Vitamin Disclaimer:
The dietary data on this web site is barely an estimate and is supplied for comfort and as a courtesy solely. The accuracy of the dietary data for any recipe on this web site will not be assured. It shouldn't be used as an alternative to knowledgeable nutritionist’s recommendation.
