Description
This Thai Red Duck Curry offers a perfect balance of rich, crispy duck breast combined with fragrant and spicy red curry sauce infused with makrut lime leaves, garlic, and ginger. Enhanced by tender green beans and your choice of lychees or pineapple for a subtle sweetness, this dish is a vibrant, restaurant-quality curry served with jasmine rice, ideal for impressing guests or a special family meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Crispy skin duck:
- 500g / 1 lb duck breasts, boneless, skin on (3 pieces)
- 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper (or finely ground black pepper)
Thai red curry:
- 115g / 4 oz (1/2 cup) Thai red curry paste (recommended: 1 can Maesri or 1 batch homemade red curry paste)
- 2 large garlic cloves, finely grated
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, finely grated
- 1 cup low sodium chicken stock/broth
- 400ml / 14 oz full fat coconut milk
- 6–8 makrut lime leaves, crushed in hand
- 2 tsp white sugar
- 2 tsp fish sauce
- 120g / 4 oz green beans, trimmed and cut in half
- 1 lightly packed cup Thai basil leaves (or regular basil as substitute)
Lychees or pineapple – CHOOSE ONE:
- 8–12 lychees, whole, peeled, seed removed (fresh preferred, canned acceptable)
- 1 1/4 cups pineapple pieces, preferably fresh (canned acceptable)
For serving / garnish:
- Jasmine rice (cooked from 2 cups raw rice)
- Extra Thai basil leaves
- Coriander/cilantro leaves or small sprigs (optional)
- Large red chili, finely sliced (optional)
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare duck breast: Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan-forced). Score the duck skin by making 5–6 diagonal shallow cuts, avoiding piercing the flesh. Sprinkle half the salt and white pepper on the flesh side and the remaining salt and pepper on the skin. Pat skin dry with paper towels to ensure crispiness.
- Crisp duck skin: Place duck breasts skin-side down in a cold oven-proof pan without oil. Put another pan on top to weigh down the duck and keep skin flat. Turn the stovetop to medium-low heat and cook for 10 minutes until the skin turns golden and crispy and fat renders out.
- Reserve duck fat: Carefully pour off 2–3 tablespoons of duck fat from the pan into a separate pan for making the curry sauce.
- Finish duck in oven: Flip the duck breasts, cook flesh side for 1 minute on stovetop, then transfer the pan to the preheated oven. Roast for 8 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 60°C/140°F (medium doneness). Remove and allow to rest 5 minutes on a rack or plate.
- Cook curry sauce base: Heat the reserved duck fat over medium heat in a deep skillet. Add Thai red curry paste, grated garlic, and ginger; sauté for 4–5 minutes until dried out and darker in color to enhance flavor.
- Add liquids and simmer: Pour in the chicken stock and stir. Simmer rapidly to reduce liquid by half (2–3 minutes). Stir in full-fat coconut milk, crushed makrut lime leaves, white sugar, and fish sauce. Simmer gently for 2 minutes.
- Add vegetables and fruit: Add green beans to the sauce and simmer for 3 minutes until tender-crisp. Add peeled lychees or pineapple pieces and simmer for an additional 1–2 minutes to warm through. Adjust seasoning with a little extra fish sauce if needed.
- Assemble dish: Spoon enough curry sauce to cover the base of a large, deep platter or wide bowl. Thinly slice the rested duck breast (about 5mm thick) and fan out slices over the sauce, exposing the pink flesh but avoiding draping directly over the crispy skin.
- Garnish and serve: Spoon remaining sauce, including lychees or pineapple, around the duck slices, avoiding the duck skin edges to keep it crispy. Garnish with extra Thai basil leaves, coriander sprigs, finely sliced red chili (optional), and lime wedges. Serve immediately alongside freshly cooked jasmine rice.
Notes
- Use good quality duck breasts with skin for the best texture and flavor; 3 pieces provide a generous amount matching sauce volume.
- Store-bought Thai red curry paste from Maesri brand is highly recommended for authentic taste; homemade paste is an excellent alternative.
- Finely grate garlic and ginger to easily incorporate into the curry paste, enhancing the flavor profile.
- Use full-fat coconut milk (85%+ coconut content) for a rich, creamy sauce; avoid watered-down or low-fat versions.
- Fresh makrut lime leaves add unique citrus aroma; frozen or dried can be used if fresh unavailable, but flavor varies.
- Substitute Thai basil with Italian basil if necessary, but the distinctive aniseed flavor is characteristic of this curry.
- Fresh lychees or pineapple complement the curry with subtle sweetness; canned versions are acceptable if good quality.
- Score duck skin diagonally but avoid cutting into the flesh to retain juices and achieve crispiness.
- Low and slow cooking of duck skin renders fat properly, producing the crispiest skin without toughness.
- Duck should be cooked medium, approximately 60°C/140°F internal temperature, leaving pink and tender; medium-rare is also acceptable.
- Leftover curry keeps refrigerated for 3-4 days; can be frozen for up to 3 months. Reheat gently, adding lychees and basil last to preserve freshness.
- For make-ahead meals, cook duck and sauce separately without lychees or basil, combine and warm gently when ready to serve.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Thai
Keywords: Thai red duck curry, duck breast recipe, Thai curry, red curry, duck curry with lychees, Asian cooking, coconut curry, Thai basil, crispy duck skin
