Duck and Blackberry Salad

Sliced duck breast, greens and toasted walnuts in a fruity dressing… this is a lovely winter starter.

Hands-on time 25min.

Cooking time about 35min. Serves 6

4 skin-on duck breasts

40g walnuts

200g tenderstem broccoli, trimmed 2 echalion shallots, finely sliced 10 juniper berries, crushed 4tbsp moscatel vinegar or 2tbsp red wine vinegar ½tbsp runny honey

200ml chicken stock

150g fresh blackberries, halved or frozen blackberries left whole 100g lamb’s lettuce or other leaves

1 Score the skin of the duck breasts in a criss-cross pattern using a sharp knife

and making sure not to cut down into the flesh. Season. Place skin-side down in a large heavy-based frying pan. Turn heat on to low-medium and cook for 20min, spooning excess fat out of the pan regularly, until the skin is golden and crisp.

2 Meanwhile, preheat oven to 180°C (160°C fan) mark 4. Put the walnuts in a small roasting tin and toast in oven for 8min. Set aside to cool. Blanch the broccoli in a large pan of boiling water for 2min, then drain and rinse under cold water and set aside.

3 Turn the duck and cook flesh-down for 2min. Transfer to a shallow roasting tin (reserve pan) and cook in oven for 6-8min for pink meat (cook for

longer, if you prefer). Set aside to rest until needed.

4 Spoon out all but 1tbsp fat from the duck frying pan and return pan to medium heat. Add the shallots and cook for 3-4min, until just softened. Stir in the juniper berries, vinegar, honey and stock and simmer for 8min. Add the blackberries and simmer for 2-3min, until you have a syrupy dressing.

5 Divide the broccoli and salad leaves between 6 plates. Slice the duck and arrange on top. Spoon over the blackberry dressing and scatter over the toasted walnuts. Serve. PER SERVING 303cals, 35g protein, 16g fat (3g saturates), 4g carbs (4g total sugars), 3g fibre