It’s hard to get bored with food if you always tweak the recipes you use. I do that, even with my own creations. If the result is great, I’ll share it as an update, which is what I am doing today.

In May, I posted an article and recipe for Fusion Duck Curry. At the time I was eating the curry, I made a note that I would like to try it with the addition of curry leaves and garam masala.

Well, some time has passed and I was asked if I would cook the dish again. As I did that, I saw my note to try the variation. So I added 3 sprigs of curry leaves at the same time as the sliced onions, and ½ teaspoon garam masala together with the other spice powders. I also reduced the water to 1 cup, and reduced the heat to get the barest of simmers. Cooking time was the same.

It worked wonderfully, with a thicker, more flavourful gravy. Try it, you will not be disappointed I assure you.

I had a couple of nice duck breasts in the freezer, so I decided to cook them for dinner. After some thought about what sauce to make, I opted for an orange sauce rather than a vinegar based sauce.

Started off the Orange sauce first. Caramelized some sugar, then added red wine vinegar and juice from 2 Sunkist oranges. Boiled that briefly, then set aside.

I cut a fine cross-hatch pattern into the skin of the breasts, but otherwise left the membrane intact. Seasoned them, then sautéed them skin-side down first, in a pan over medium-low heat. It took about 18 minutes to get the skin brown and crispy, then did the flesh side for 10 minutes. Finished off with another 2 minutes on the skin side to crisp them up a bit more.

Set the breasts aside to rest, poured off the fat from the pan, then added the sauce and deglazed the pan. Using the Calphalon, it was pretty easy getting the browned bits off the pan and into the sauce. Reduced it till there was a sheen on the surface, then added the zest from 1 orange, and we were set.

I did a quick sauté of French cut Haricot beans in olive oil with garlic, and served that with boiled potatoes.

It was nice, the sweetness of the sauce going well with the tang of the zest, with crunchy textured beans to add interest. And the boiled potatoes were a subtle complement to the duck.

A dish worth doing again.