Recipes

Duck salad with beetroot, pomegranate and redcurrant vinaigrette

Preparation time:: 30 mins

Cooking time:: 40 mins

Serves:: 4

Ingredients

125ml balsamic vinegar
30g caster sugar
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
250ml water
8 baby beetroot, trimmed
200g green beans
4 duck breast fillets
Salt, to season
2 tsp Chinese five-spice
100g baby salad leaves
120g Danish feta, cut into 1cm cubes
3 tbs chopped walnuts, roasted

Pomegranate seeds, to serve

Vinaigrette
2 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 tbs pomegranate juice
2 tbs redcurrant jelly, warmed, sieved
1 tbs sherry vinegar
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Salt and pepper, to season

Method

1. Place vinegar, sugar, nutmeg and water in a medium saucepan over low heat and stir until sugar dissolves. Add beetroot and place a round of baking paper on top. Simmer, covered, for 25 minutes or until tender. Drain, then cool. Peel beetroot and cut into quarters.

2. Meanwhile, cook green beans in a saucepan of salted boiling water for 3-4 minutes or until tender. Drain, then transfer to a bowl of iced water for 5 minutes. Drain.

3. To make vinaigrette, whisk all ingredients in a small bowl until combined. Season with salt and pepper.

4. Using a sharp knife, lightly score duck skin, then season with salt and five-spice.

5. Place duck, skin side down, in a non-stick frying pan over medium-low heat. Cook for 8 minutes or until fat has melted and skin is crisp. Turn and cook for a further 4-5 minutes, then transfer to a warm plate. Rest, covered, for 5 minutes, then slice.

6. Arrange beans, beetroot, salad leaves, feta and walnuts on a serving plate. Top with duck and drizzle with vinaigrette. Garnish with pomegranate seeds to serve.

Notes

Tips

- For a smaller entrée, allow half a duck breast (about 3 slices) per person.
- To extract juice from a pomegranate, lightly squeeze over a regular citrus juicer – 1 pomegranate will yield about 125ml juice.

- To extract seeds from pomegranate, place chunks of fruit in a bowl of cold water. Using your hands, separate seeds from membrane (membrane will float to top for easy removal).

Recipe by Angela and Justine