Name: My Thai Cafes Gaeng Ped Supparod Recipe
Cook time: 50 min
Total time: 50 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Thai
Ingredients: 2 pieces duck breast, skin on; 1 tsp sea salt; 1 tsp black pepper, freshly ground; 1 tbs vegetable oil (for searing); 3 tbs red curry paste; 2 cloves garlic, minced; 2 pieces shallots, thinly sliced; 1 tbs galangal or ginger, thinly sliced; 1 stalk lemongrass, white part only, bruised and thinly sliced; 400 ml coconut milk; 200 ml chicken or duck stock; 2 tbs fish sauce; 1 tbs palm sugar or brown sugar; 1 tbs tamarind concentrate or lime juice; 1 cup pineapple, fresh, cut into 1-inch chunks; 2 pieces roma tomatoes, quartered; 1 pieces red bell pepper, sliced into 1/2-inch strips; 1 cup carrot, diagonal slices; 1 cup bamboo shoots, drained (canned); 1 cup Thai basil leaves; 2 pieces bird's eye chiles, sliced (adjust heat); 3 pieces kaffir lime leaves, torn (optional); 2 pieces lime wedges (for serving); 4 cups cooked jasmine rice (for serving)

Method

Duck and marinade

Score and season duck

Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, score the skin in a diamond pattern, cutting through the fat but not into the meat. Sprinkle sea salt and freshly ground black pepper evenly on both sides and let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature.

Sear and roast duck

Place a cold, dry skillet over medium heat. Put the duck breasts skin-side down into the skillet (no additional fat needed except up to 1 tbs oil if pan sticks). Render the fat for 6–8 minutes, pressing gently, until skin is deeply golden and crisp. Flip and sear the meat side 1–2 minutes. Transfer to a baking tray skin-side up and roast in a preheated 200°C/400°F oven for 6–8 minutes for medium-rare (internal 58–60°C/135–140°F). Let rest 8 minutes, then slice thinly on a bias into 1/4-inch slices.

Curry base

Prepare aromatics

In a large, wide saucepan or wok, heat 1 tbs vegetable oil over medium heat. Add sliced shallots, minced garlic, sliced galangal (or ginger) and bruised lemongrass. Sauté 2–3 minutes until fragrant and softened, taking care not to burn the garlic.

Cook curry paste

Add red curry paste to the aromatics and fry, stirring, for 1–2 minutes until the oils separate and the paste becomes fragrant. This blooms the spices and deepens the flavor.

Add liquids

Pour in 200 ml of the coconut milk and stir to loosen the paste. Add the remaining coconut milk and the chicken or duck stock. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium-low heat.

Season the curry

Stir in fish sauce, palm sugar, and tamarind concentrate (or lime juice). Taste and adjust balance: add more fish sauce for saltiness, sugar to tame acidity, or lime/tamarind for brightness. Simmer gently 5 minutes to meld flavors.

Vegetables & pineapple

Add vegetables that require longer cooking

Add the carrot slices and bamboo shoots to the simmering curry first. Simmer 3–4 minutes until carrots begin to soften but remain slightly firm.

Add quick-cooking items

Add pineapple chunks, red bell pepper strips, and quartered roma tomatoes to the pot. Simmer 2–3 minutes more — just long enough to heat pineapple through and soften the pepper slightly while keeping some crunch and freshness.

Incorporate duck

Gently slide the sliced roasted duck breast into the curry to warm through, spooning sauce over the slices. Simmer 1–2 minutes; avoid prolonged simmering to keep the duck tender.

Finishing & garnish

Final seasoning

Turn off the heat and stir in torn kaffir lime leaves (if using) and sliced bird's eye chiles. Add Thai basil leaves and fold gently into the curry so they wilt but remain bright.

Serve

Ladle the Gaeng Ped Supparod into bowls over cooked jasmine rice or serve rice on the side. Garnish with extra Thai basil leaves and lime wedges. Serve immediately.