Recipe

Recipe: Old Boy - Duck Green Curry

02.10.2025 · Lorenz Verstraete

The restaurant

Old Boy in Brussels is a trendy South-East Asian grill where authentic flavors from Bangkok merge with modern European finesse. The kitchen, entirely based on fire, serves colorful vegetables, grilled seafood, and meat, complemented by homemade curry pastes, nam prik, and fresh relishes. Their bao buns, Iberico pork, and Kaprao mussels are well-known for their impressive explosion of flavor. It's a relaxed spot with an open kitchen and counter seating, perfect for sharing small dishes in a lively atmosphere.

The recipe

CURRY PASTE

First, toast all the dry spices and grind them into a fine powder. Deseed the green chilies (or leave the seeds in for extra heat). Then, put all the ingredients in a blender and blend until a smooth, even paste. Heat sunflower oil in a pan and briefly fry the paste until a thin layer of green oil becomes visible.

CURRY

Add the coconut milk to the fried curry paste and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer gently for about 15 minutes, or until a thin layer of green oil reappears on top. Add the lime leaves and season with sugar and fish sauce until you achieve a nice balance between salty, sweet, and spicy.

DUCK BREASTS

Stir the sugar into the fish sauce until completely dissolved. Place the duck breasts in this marinade and let them rest for at least 4 hours, or preferably overnight, so the flavors can penetrate deeply.

CORIANDER OIL

Briefly blanch the coriander and immediately immerse it in ice water. Pat dry thoroughly and blend with the oil and a pinch of salt until smooth. Filter the green oil through a coffee filter or cheesecloth.

Sear the duck breasts skin-side down until the skin is beautifully crispy. Then sear them on all sides and continue cooking in a preheated oven at 200 °C for 6 to 8 minutes, or until a core temperature of 55 °C is reached.

PLATING

Slice the duck breasts into very thin pieces and arrange them on a bed of curry sauce. Finish with a few drops of coriander oil and fresh Thai basil leaves.

Ingredients

Serves 4

Duck breast

2 duck breasts
100g fish sauce (+ extra to season the curry)
50g sugar (+ extra to season the curry)

Green curry paste

150g green chillies, deseeded (e.g. serrano)
25g lemongrass (outer layers and hard green parts removed)
20g galangal root
4g lime zest
30g garlic cloves
100g shallots
10g shrimp paste
20g white peppercorns
4g coriander seeds
6g cumin seeds
4g green cardamom pods
4g nutmeg
2g mace
8 cloves
sunflower oil

Alternatively, replace the above with 300g ready-made Nitaya green curry paste.

Curry

1 litre coconut milk (preferably Aroy-D)
300g green curry paste
4 kaffir lime leaves

Coriander oil

250g coriander
350g neutral oil (e.g. grapeseed oil)
pinch of salt

Garnish

8 Thai basil leaves

The pairing

Duck, with its tender and somewhat rich character, is beautifully balanced by the vibrancy of this Silice 2024. Green curry, with its spicy notes, coconut milk, and aromatic herbs, could have been a challenging combination – but not for this wine!

The citrus and green apple notes in the wine refresh the palate and cut through the richness of the duck beautifully, providing a pleasant lightness. The subtle hints of white flowers perfectly complement the spicy aromas of the curry, creating a refined harmony. And the most intriguing part? The purity and minerality of Silice beautifully match the intensity of the spices without being overwhelmed.

And that touch of bitter almond in the finish? That's a perfect match for the subtly sweet-salty character of the duck and the spices. It's a pairing that plays with refreshing contrast and complementary flavors, with the wine invigorating and elevating the rich, aromatic dish.