Duck Breast
with Spring Greens, Spiced Lentils and Apple
Are you one of those people who think of duck as a 'dining out' option but would never consider cooking it at home? Well, we're here to change your mind! The crucial thing is to melt the fat so the skin gets crispy. It's called 'rendering' which sounds very technical and cheffy but it's easily done in a frying pan.
Boxes and ingredients are packed in facilities that handles Peanut, Nuts, Sesame, Fish, Crustaceans, Milk, Egg, Mustard, Celery, Soya, Gluten and Sulphites. Due to the war in Ukraine, it has been necessary to substitute sunflower oil with rapeseed oil in some products without a label change. The FSA have advised that allergic reactions to rapeseed oil are rare.
Ingredients
Green Lentils
1
Echalion Shallot
1
Apple
5
Flat Leaf Parsley
2
Duck Breasts
½
Red Chilli
75
Sliced Spring Greens
½
Vegetable Stock Powder
1
Carrot
1
Lentils
Nutritional information
Utensils
Instructions
Preheat your oven to 180°C and take the duck out of the fridge so it can come to room temperature. Finely chop the red chilli. Peel the carrot, remove the top and bottom and chop into roughly ½cm cubes. Peel, quarter and core the apple, then chop into 1cm cubes. Halve, peel and finely chop the shallot. Chop the leaves of the spring greens into roughly 1cm slices (discard the core). Finely chop the parsley (stalks and all).
Put a splash of oil in a small saucepan on medium-low heat. TIP: Use a knob of butter instead if you have some. Add the apple, a sprinkle of sugar (if you have some) and a splash of water. Pop a lid on the pan and cook until the apple has softened, 10-15 mins. Remove the lid for the last few mins of cooking time so the apple can thicken. Take the pan off the heat and set aside with the lid on to keep warm.
Season the duck breast with salt and pepper. Make three diagonal cuts into the skin with a sharp knife. Heat a frying pan on medium-high heat (no oil) and lay in the duck, skin-side down. Cook until the skin is golden, 7 mins. Transfer to a lined baking tray, skin-side up. (Keep the pan!). Roast on the top shelf of your oven for 7 mins. Tip: We like our duck pink, if you like it well done give it 15 mins in the oven.
Heat a drizzle of oil in another frying pan on medium heat. Add the chilli, carrot and shallot. Cook until soft, 5 mins. Drain and thoroughly rinse the lentils in a sieve. Once the veggies are soft, add in the lentils and stir in the stock pot and water (amount specified in the ingredient list). Cook for 3 mins, then take the pan off the heat and set aside until it's time to serve.
Once the duck is cooked, remove from your oven and leave to rest for a few mins. Pour out all but a drizzle of oil from the pan you used to fry it and pop on medium-high heat. Once hot, add the spring greens. Season with a pinch of salt and a good grind of pepper. Fry until softened, 3-4 mins.
Reheat your lentils, stir through the parsley and divide between plates. Serve the spring greens on the side. Carve the duck into slices and arrange on top of the lentils with a generous spoonful of caramelised apple. Enjoy!
