Cookery: the food of love!

Staying in on 14 February? This no-fuss menu will impress

Blushing duck salad

You could replace the duck with some crumbled veggie feta or griddled halloumi (and don’t forget to swap the duck fat in the dressing for olive oil).

Serves 6 Hands-on time: 15 mins. Cooking time: 25 mins, plus resting

3 duck breasts 1tsp Chinese five spice powder 2tbsp duck fat (from pan) 1tbsp runny honey 1tsp wholegrain mustard 2tsp red wine vinegar Salt and pepper 2 x 70g bags lamb’s lettuce 50g pecans, roughly chopped 110g pack pomegranate seeds

1 Preheat oven to 200°C, 180°C fan, gas 6. Score the skin of the duck breasts (making sure not to cut into the meat), and rub the five spice powder over the skin. Heat a non-stick frying pan over a medium heat, and put the breasts in, skin-side down. Fry for 10 min, or until skin is well browned and much of the fat has rendered out. Tip the fat into a heat-proof bowl as you go.

2 Put the breasts on a baking sheet, skin-side up, and roast in oven for 12-15 min for pink meat (cook for longer or shorter as you prefer). Transfer the meat to a board, and leave to rest for 10 min.

3 While the duck is resting, discard all but 2tbsp of the fat (or keep in fridge for roasting veg at a later date). Whisk in the remaining dressing ingredients and some seasoning.

4 To serve, arrange the lettuce on a platter, then scatter over the pecans and pomegranate seeds. Slice the duck and add to the salad, then drizzle over the dressing.

PER SERVING: 331cals, 25g fat (6g saturates), 5g carbs (5g total sugars), 21g protein, 2g fibre