Five-Spice Duck Stir-Fry

From EatingWell: EatingWell Serves Two — Subscribe Now!

Why duck? Because it's delicious. This recipe may indeed convince folks who have been tentative about eating duck that they've been missing something fabulous. The five-spice powder, while not overpowering, is strong enough to stand up to the rich taste of duck.

2 servings, 1 1/2 cups each

Active Time: 40 minutes

Total Time: 40 minutes

Nutrition Profile

Ingredients

1/4 cup dry sherry, (see Note)
2 tablespoons plum sauce
1/4 teaspoon salt
Pinch of cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon canola oil
8 ounces boneless duck breast, (see Note), skin removed, sliced in half lengthwise, then cut into 1/4-inch thick slices
2 tablespoons minced garlic
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
1 1/2 cups trimmed, halved green beans
2 cups purchased julienne-cut carrots, (8 ounces)
1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder, or to taste (see Note)

Preparation

Combine sherry, plum sauce, salt and cayenne in a small bowl.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add duck; cook, stirring often, until browned, 1 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate with a slotted spatula.
Add garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add green beans, carrots and five-spice powder, and cook, stirring, until the carrots are slightly softened, about 1 minute. Add the plum sauce mixture; stir to coat, cover, reduce heat to medium and cook until the green beans are tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the cooked duck, toss to combine and serve immediately.

Tips & Notes

Notes: Sherry is a type of fortified wine originally from southern Spain. Don't use the "cooking sherry" sold in many supermarkets — it can be surprisingly high in sodium. Instead, purchase dry sherry that's sold with other fortified wines in your wine or liquor store.
Boneless duck breast halves range widely in weight, from about 1/2 to 1 pound, depending on the breed. They can be found in most supermarkets in the poultry or specialty-meat sections.
Often a blend of cinnamon, cloves, fennel seed, star anise and Szechuan peppercorns, five-spice powder was originally considered a cure-all miracle blend encompassing the five elements (sour, bitter, sweet, pungent, salty). Look for it in the supermarket spice section.

Nutrition

Per serving: 336 calories; 12 g fat (2 g sat, 6 g mono); 87 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 26 g protein; 6 g fiber; 537 mg sodium; 885 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (390% daily value), Vitamin C (45% dv), Iron (35% dv), Potassium (25% dv), Folate (19% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1/2 other carbohydrate, 3 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 1 1/2 fat