Contains: Soy (potentially gluten), added sugar. Is: Quick and easy, just ducky…
A continuation of my Asian Cooking Month! If you are gluten-free, read your miso container label. There are indeed some that contain no wheat (gluten).
A serving of duck breast with scallions and a miso dressing to top. Japanese. Yes, the chopsticks are Chinese, but that’s what’s colorful here at home.
Duck is not that common in Japanese cuisine, but one of the focuses is to have a crispy skin for the breast. But I looked around and found some ideas – all of which keep the duck itself simple, and usually keep the skin crispy (which I prefer). My old sushi stomping ground back in Connecticut would make a crispy duck sushi roll – which I know is not something ever made back in Japan. (I ordered it once, and liked it, but found it far too “goopy” and heavy (yes, it had lots of panko breading) for the way I prefer to eat sushi rolls – I definitely desired something less fancy or fussy!)
Above: trimming and scoring the duck breast.
I’m hoping this recipe gets more into the spirit of things Japanese.
Can’t forget the scallions!
You’ll have enough Miso Dressing for about four duck breasts. Save what you don’t use, up to five to seven days in the refrigerator. Duck itself for 3-4 days.
A really good white miso dressing.
Prep Time: 15 minutes.
Cook Time: 12 minutes max.
Rest Time: 5 minutes.
Cuisine: Japanese.
Serves: 1 breast apiece, with a good amount of leftover dressing.
Leftovers: Yes. Leftover duck might be great in a salad!
Japanese Miso Dressing with Duck Breast
The Dressing:
- 3 tablespoons miso paste, preferably white
- 3 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 3 tablespoons avocado, or other, oil
- 1.5 teaspoons brown coconut sugar (Other types will work. Taste and if you need another half teaspoon, add it.)
- Japanese yellow mustard if desired, to taste. (I didn’t have, I omitted…)
Recipe source: https://www.japanesecooking101.com/miso-dressing-recipe/
Mix all the above together in a small bowl. Give enough time for the sugar to dissolve.
If you don’t use this right away, refrigerate for up to 5-7 days, but allow to sit out of the refrigerator for half an hour before using in the below (or other heated) recipe. I plan to use my extra as a salad dressing, so in that case, served chilled is optimal.
Cooked, and prior to the miso dressing.
The Duck:
- 1 duck breast, skin on, per person.
- 2 scallions/green onions, chopped to 1-2 inch / 2.5 – 5 cm lengths.
- 2 tablespoons miso dressing.
Wipe down both sides of the breast with a paper towel, to remove any water or dampness.
Remove any fatty tissues on the meat / flesh side of the breast.
Score the skin side so that the fat can drain out and provide a cooking baste for the duck meat.
on your cooktop, heat a skillet on medium high, and when water dropped in it vibrantly sizzles, add the duck, skin side down.
Cook the duck on each side 3.5 – 6 minutes, depending on level of preferred done-ness. In any case, the skin should be crispy.
Remove from skillet and let rest for five minutes.
Add scallions / green onions to skillet, allow to cook for 30 seconds to a minute, and remove to drain on a paper towel before they brown.
Slice the breast (approximately 0.75 inches / 2 cm) thicknesses, and plate. Add the scallions, and then drizzle with the miso dressing. Serve still warm!
Recipe shared with:
Sea Vegetable
Of Goats and Greens 
Oh I wish I could find some duck breast. This is great. Thanks for sharing at the What’s for Dinner party. Enjoy the rest of your week.
I didn’t expect to run into the duck breast… so, well, I grabbed it. Thank you.