5 Spice Duck Risotto

This is my second time making risotto. The first was several years ago when I made a crayfish risotto. This may not look pretty, but it is delicious! You could easily make this for two people using one duck breast… there almost seemed to be more duck than rice… but Dwayne wasn’t complaining. I was just happy it turned out as tasty as it did!

Table of Contents

Five Spice Duck Risotto

Ingredients

2 1/4 teaspoons five spice
2 duck breast
1 large onion, finely diced
2-3 garlic cloves, finely diced
2 large oyster mushrooms, thinly sliced
4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 5 minutes, squeeze out the water and slice
1 cup of arborio rice
1/2 cup red wine
500ml – 700ml hot chicken stock
1/2 teaspoon cracked pepper
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
2 spring onions, thinly sliced
Small bunch of greens, thinly sliced, i.e. kale, spinach, bok choy
Chives, finely sliced for garnish

Method

Lightly score the duck skin a few times and rub the duck breasts with one teaspoon of the five-spice.

Place skin side down in a cold non-stick pan (without oil), then heat on moderate heat for 7-10 minutes until fat renders and the skin is golden brown. Flip the duck and seal the other side for 30 seconds. Remove the duck from the pan and reserve the duck fat.

Place the duck breast skin-side-up on a rack over an oven tray. Cook the duck on the middle shelf of a 220°C preheated oven. Cook for 15 minutes. Then take the duck from the oven and let it cool before slicing.

In the meantime, heat one tablespoon of duck fat in a large pan, add the onion and garlic and cook on medium heat for several minutes. Add the mushroom and continue to cook, occasionally stirring for a few minutes.

Add the rice and continue to cook on medium heat, toasting the rice for 4 minutes. (This is an essential part of making risotto).

Add the red wine, the remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons of five-spice, and the light soy sauce. Allow the red wine to be absorbed before adding the stock. Add 1/4 of a cup of stock at a time… allowing each 1/4 cup of stock to be absorbed before adding more. Keep stirring the rice and testing the consistency.

When the rice is almost done (you have tasted it and are happy with the consistency), add the spring onions, leafy greens and sliced duck. Lightly toss the ingredients through as you finish cooking for a couple of minutes. Bon appetite!