Why does everyone overcook their duck breast?

I watched three cooks at a pop-up in Seattle pull their duck off way too early, thinking it needed to rest more. They served it almost raw in the middle because they were scared of the fat not rendering. The trick is to start it cold in a pan and go slow for a full 8 minutes skin-side down. Has anyone else had to fix this for their crew?

2 comments

2 Comments

lunar472d ago

Actually, starting cold can leave the fat under-rendered and chewy in my book. The method that works here is a room-temp start with a scored, dry skin and a medium heat for about six minutes. That gets the fat crisp without pushing the meat past medium-rare.

emeryfox2d ago

I tried the cold start method last week and the fat was still rubbery. Letting the steak sit out for 30 minutes first made a huge difference for me. The texture was way better with that room temp start.