Duck breast with bean purée and olive and herb salsa

Prep time: 30 minutes, plus resting time Cook time: 30 minutes

Serves 4

For years I used the same method for cooking duck breasts – the duck went into a hot pan and was quickly browned on the fatty side (as the fat melted), then a couple of minutes on the other side and it was finished in the oven.

So I was surprised, but immediately convinced, when I read about putting the duck breast into a cold pan, cooking it slowly on the fatty side until all the fat melts and the skin crisps; a few minutes on the other side and then it’s still finished off in the oven.

It is a slower approach, but the results are better and the timings here produce pink meat.

INGREDIENTS

– 2 tbsp olive oil

– 1 onion, finely

chopped

– 1 garlic clove, grated

to a purée –2x400gtins cannellini beans, drained

– 85ml chicken stock – 2 tbsp extra-virgin

olive oil

– squeeze of lemon,

added to taste

– 4 duck breasts

For the salsa

– 50g flat-leaf parsley,

roughly chopped – leaves from 3 sprigs

tarragon, chopped

– 3 anchovies, drained

of oil and chopped

– 2 tbsp capers, rinsed of salt or vinegar and chopped

– 1 garlic clove, finely

chopped

– 145ml extra-virgin

olive oil, or as needed – ¼ tsp Dijon mustard – 2 tbsp lemon juice, or

more to taste

– 30g good-quality pitted black olives, chopped

METHOD

You can make the bean purée in advance and reheat it before serving.

Heat the regular olive oil in a pan, add the onion and a pinch of salt, and sauté on a low heat until soft. Add the garlic and cook for another 2 minutes, then add the beans, stock and a little seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for about 4 minutes.

Blitz the contents of the pan in a blender or food processor with the extra-virgin olive oil and some lemon juice to taste. Adjust the seasoning if needed.

Heat the oven to 200C/190C fan/gas mark 6. Dry the duck breasts with kitchen paper. Score the skin – I do parallel lines rather than a trellis – and season well all over.

To make the salsa, put all the ingredients, except the oil, mustard, lemon juice and olives, into a mortar and crush with a pestle, bashing them really well. Gradually add the oil, then stir in the mustard and as much lemon juice as you need. Season with black pepper. You won’t need any salt but judge whether you need any more oil. Stir in the olives. Set aside while you cook the duck.

Put the breasts into two cold frying pans, skin-side down. Turn the heat under the pans to medium-low and cook the duck in the fat that runs out until the skin is golden brown (pour off the excess fat every so often). This takes 10-15 minutes. Turn the breasts over and cook for 2 minutes on the other side.

Quickly transfer the duck breasts to a roasting tin, skin-side up. Cook in the oven for 5 minutes, then remove from the oven and rest them, covered loosely with foil, for 8 minutes. The resting is very important as the juices in the meat settle.

Reheat the bean purée. Slice the breasts using a very fine sharp knife and serve with the bean purée and a spoonful of the salsa.