Quick recipe finder Spiced duck breast with creamed Savoy cabbage and roasted apples
Treat someone special to this smart dinner for two. It’s surprisingly easy to make too.
By Clare Smyth From Saturday Kitchen Best Bites
Ingredients
For the duck
- 2 x x 150g/5oz duck breasts
- 1 Braeburn apple, quartered and core removed
- 25g/1oz butter, plus a knob of butter
- 1 tsp fennel seeds
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- ½ tsp ground nutmeg
- ½ tsp ground cinnamon
- ½ tsp orange zest
- 1 tsp honey
- 25ml/1fl oz orange juice
- 175ml/6fl oz duck stock
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
For the creamed Savoy cabbage
- 50g/2oz smoked bacon lardons
- 30g/1oz carrot, diced
- 30g/1oz celeriac, diced
- ½ Savoy cabbage, thinly sliced
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 250ml/9fl oz double cream
Method
For the duck, preheat the oven to 210C/425F/Gas 7.
Score the skin of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern.
Place the duck breasts in an ovenproof frying pan, skin-side down, and cook for 4-5 minutes, or until the fat is rendered. Add the apple to the pan.
When the duck skin is crisp and golden-brown, turn the duck breasts over and cook the other side for 1-2 minutes. Baste the duck with a knob of butter, then roast in the oven for 2-3 minutes (for medium), or until cooked to your liking.
Heat the fennel and coriander seeds in a dry frying pan until aromatic. Grind the seeds in a pestle and mortar. Add the nutmeg, cinnamon and orange zest. Stir in the honey and enough orange juice to give the glaze a good consistency.
Remove the duck breasts from the oven and brush the spice mixture over the duck breasts with a pastry brush. Baste the duck with its roasting juices and leave to rest for a few minutes.
Heat a frying pan until hot, add the duck stock and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by half, then add the 25g/1oz of butter and whisk until well combined. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
For the creamed Savoy cabbage, heat a lidded frying pan until hot and fry the bacon lardons, carrot and celeriac with the lid on for 4-5 minutes.
Add the cabbage and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.Cover with the lid and continue to cook for 3-4 minutes, or until the cabbage is tender. Add the cream and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the cream has thickened.
To serve, spoon the cabbage onto serving plates and top with the roasted apples. Slice the duck breasts and place on top.
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