# Crisping duck skin



## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

I retain the skin on my duck breasts, cook it in a pan skin down to render the fat some and then finish in the oven at 400; but when I'm done, what is left of the fat/skin is chewy. Anybody have experience on crisping up the skin without overcooking the breast meat. I like it rare to medium rare.

Thanks.


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

The trick to crispy duck skin is scoring it, then low heat in the pan skin side down. I can get the skin on teal breasts crispy crunchy and still keep them rare. This takes quite a bit of time, and on a fat mallard breast it can take more than 25 minutes in the pan to do properly.


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## Steve G (Nov 29, 2016)

johnnycake said:


> The trick to crispy duck skin is scoring it, then low heat in the pan skin side down. I can get the skin on teal breasts crispy crunchy and still keep them rare. This takes quite a bit of time, and on a fat mallard breast it can take more than 25 minutes in the pan to do properly.


Thanks. I will try it.


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## Kwalk3 (Jun 21, 2012)

Johnnycake nailed it. Here's a detailed breakdown of the process. 
https://honest-food.net/how-to-cook-duck-breasts/


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## NVDuckin (Apr 18, 2016)

I do it on the grill. I get the grill piping hot and put the breasts with the skin-side faced down. Once it gets crispy, I turn them and set the grill to medium and pull them off when they look ready to eat.


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## Fowlmouth (Oct 4, 2008)

I don't leave the skin on the breasts, it would be impossible to see if the duck has sarcocystis (rice breast). So for all you guys that like to leave the skin on, just think of all the rice you have possibly eaten.:shock::mrgreen:


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## johnnycake (Jul 19, 2011)

Fowlmouth said:


> I don't leave the skin on the breasts, it would be impossible to see if the duck has sarcocystis (rice breast). So for all you guys that like to leave the skin on, just think of all the rice you have possibly eaten.:shock::mrgreen:


When you score it first, you can see if it has rice breast


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