Ingredients
Choose your Plancha Ring. The Phantom Plancha Ring comes in three sizes to match your Bastard: Compact (33 cm), Medium (40 cm) and Large (49 cm).
Prep the duck. Take the duck breasts out of the fridge 30 minutes before cooking. Pat the skin completely dry. Score the fat in a tight diamond pattern, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Season both sides with the sea salt, pepper and smoked paprika, pressing the salt into the skin.
Heat the grill. Fit the Plancha Ring and bring The Bastard up to 200°C. Close the lid and let the plancha heat through for about 10 minutes.
Render the fat. Lay the duck breasts skin-side down on the ring, away from the open centre. Leave the lid open and do not move them. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes, until a lot of fat has rendered and the skin is deep golden and crisp. Carefully spoon off the excess duck fat now and then and save it for roast potatoes.
Finish on the flesh side. Turn the breasts over and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until the core temperature reaches 54°C for pink and juicy meat. Mix the honey with the thyme and orange zest and brush a little over the skin during the last minute.
Rest. Move the duck to a board skin-side up and rest for 6 to 8 minutes under loose foil. The core temperature will rise to around 57°C.
Serve. Slice the duck against the grain into thick slices. Finish with flaky sea salt and a squeeze of orange, and serve with grilled vegetables, mash or roasted potatoes.
Bastard tip: start with the skin side down and keep the heat steady. If the skin darkens too fast, move the duck closer to the cooler edge of the ring and give the fat more time to render.
