Crispy skin duck with rice & greens
Pinot Noir and duck share an almost spiritual relationship. At best, both are rich, decadent and have terrific intensity of flavour that ranges from sweet to savoury. One is naturally high in fat, while the other loves nothing more than cutting through it. Together, they’re the ultimate combination.
If you’ve got a nice bottle of Pinot Noir on standby, this is a really simple duck recipe that produces delicious results – the addition of five-spice creating a really nice link to the spice character in the wine. Bon appétit!
INGREDIENTS
– Serves 2 –
2 duck breasts, skin on
2 tbsp. five-spice powder
2 tbsp. plain flour
1 tbsp. salt flakes
canola oil, for shallow frying
3 spring onions, trimmed and finely sliced lengthways
1 red chilli, finely sliced
1 lemon, cheeks sliced off
METHOD
Pour yourself a glass of Pinot Noir – we drank the 2015 Silent Way.
Place the duck breasts, skin-side up, in a bamboo steamer with the lid on. Set the steamer over a saucepan of rapidly boiling water and steam for 10 minutes. Remove the duck and set aside.
Combine the five-spice powder, flour and salt in a shallow dish. Pat the duck breasts dry with paper towel and coat in the five-spice mixture, dusting off any excess.
Heat about 5mm of canola oil in a heavy-based frying pan. Starting skin-side down, fry the duck breasts for 5 minutes, turning occasionally, until golden.
Using a sharp knife, cut the duck into 1-cm-thick slices across the breasts and arrange on a serving plate. Garnish with the spring onion, chilli and lemon cheeks and serve with steamed jasmine rice and Chinese broccoli or broccolini.
