Saturday, December 11, 2010

Crispy Duck Gaeng Phet

You need to make this. You do. It's FANTASTIC. You can make it as spicy as you like. If you want to make it without the duck and throw in extra vegetables and/or tofu that would be wonderful also. The flavors in the Thai red curry are bold and flavorful - kaffiir, garlic, onion, lemongrass and more. The duck has crispy skin and is tender and juicy, not dry and tough. The Chinese five spice is subtle and fragrant, perfect with the curry. I made this spicy, so I made the girls their favorite Thai Basil Stir Fry with ground turkey.


More green bean recipes
Thai Basil Stir Fry
Bacon Wrapped Green Beans
Crispy Duck Gaeng Phet
Curried Quail Eggs
Green beans for baby
Stir Fry Green Beans


GPAC Crispy Duck Gaeng Phet (Red Curry)
4 Duck breast
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
2 tablespoons duck fat (rendered during browning)
3 cloves of garlic- minced
1-2 seeded and sliced Thai bird chilies (optional)
3-4 tablespoons Curry paste (Red)- Homemade or store bought.
1 1/2 cup Coconut milk, one can shaken up- I used about 3/4 of the can
1 cup Chicken broth
2 teaspoons brown sugar (omit for whole30/paleo)
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce- Nam Pla
1 sliced red bell pepper
8 ounces green beans trimmed and cut into thirds
1 small onion sliced

Garnish
Basil leaves


Mix the salt and five spice powder. Rub the duck pieces with this mixture. Discard any remaining.
Place the duck in a cold pan skin side down. Turn the heat on to medium high. Leave the heat in the pan and let the duck start to render fat and cook. Cook the duck half way through with OUT turning or moving the duck. Leave. It. Alone.
Once the duck is cooked half way turn it over and cook the other side. If you have bone in duck pieces they obviously will take longer.
(I had three breasts and three leg thigh quarters- but I made extra duck for the girls to have without the curry.) YUM. Crispy. Juicy. 

Remove some of the fat rendered and toss it or store it for later, you don't need a ton and my six pieces of duck rendered a good 3/4 cup of fat. You only need maybe 2 tablespoons. Put the pan back on a medium high burner.
Add curry paste, Thai chilies and garlic to the pan. I used 4 ice cube blocks of red curry I had in the freezer.
Heat the curry paste and spices until fragrant. Add half of the coconut milk. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
Add the vegetables. Stir to combine and cook. 
Mix the brown sugar with some of the chicken broth to dissolve the sugar.  Stir it into the pan. Add the nam pla and remaining broth and coconut milk.
Once the vegetables are crisp tender- it won't take long, stir in any juices from the duck that was resting.
I had Diva remove the leaves from the basil so I could wash and chiffonade them for garnish.
Serve the curry over rice with sliced duck on top. Sprinkle with basil.

GPAC Crispy Duck Gaeng Phet (Red Curry)

4 Duck breast
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice
2 tablespoons duck fat, reserved from browning the duck
3 cloves of garlic- minced
1-2 seeded and sliced Thai bird chilies (optional)
3-4 tablespoons Curry paste (Red)- Homemade or store bought.
1 1/2 cup Coconut milk, one can shaken up- I used about 3/4 of the can
1 cup Chicken broth
2 teaspoons brown sugar
1-2 tablespoons fish sauce- Nam Pla
1 sliced red bell pepper
8 ounces green beans trimmed and cut into thirds
1 small onion sliced

Garnish
Basil leaves

  1. Mix the salt and five spice powder. Rub the duck pieces with this mixture. Discard any remaining seasoning.
  2. Place the duck in a cold pan skin side down. Turn the heat on to medium high. Leave the heat in the pan and let the duck start to render fat and cook. Cook the duck half way through with OUT turning or moving the duck. Leave. It. Alone.
  3. Once the duck is cooked half way turn it over and cook the other side. If you have bone in duck pieces they obviously will take longer.
  4. Remove some of the fat rendered and toss it or store it for later. Add 1 tablespoons to the same pot you cooked the duck in. Put the pan back on a medium high burner.
  5. Add curry paste, Thai chilies and garlic to the pan. Add 4 ounces of red curry paste. Use the curry paste to taste.
  6. Heat the curry paste and spices until fragrant. Add half of the coconut milk. Stir and cook for about 30 seconds.
  7. Add the vegetables. Stir to combine and cook.
  8. Mix the brown sugar with some of the chicken broth to dissolve the sugar.  Stir it into the pan. Add the nam pla and remaining broth and coconut milk.
  9. Once the vegetables are crisp tender- it won't take long, stir in any juices from the duck that was resting.
  10. Serve the curry over rice with sliced duck on top. Sprinkle with basil.
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