PAN-ROASTED DUCK BREASTS WITH EXOTIC MUSHROOMS
“Duck is always on my menu: slow-cooked legs in winter and pan-roasted breasts in summer. The variety of exotic mushrooms available made a new version irresistible.”
Serves 2 to 4
EASY
Preparation: 20 minutes Cooking: 25 minutes
For the mushrooms: shiitake mushrooms 300 g mixed exotic mushrooms 300 g olive oil 3T garlic 2 cloves, crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
duck breast fillets 2–4 (100 g each), at room temperature sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Tenderstem broccoli 230 g Woolworths fioretto spears 200 g mange tout 120 g olive oil 1T
For the dressing, whisk: pomegranate molasses 2T lemon juice 2T chicken stock ½ cup 1 To make the mushrooms, preheat the oven to 160°C. Brush the mushrooms clean, trim and tear into pieces if large or leave whole if small. Turn onto a baking tray lined with baking paper. Mix with the oil, garlic and some salt, spreading them out to make sure that they don’t steam. Place on a rack above the middle of the oven. Bake while pan-roasting the duck.
2 Place the duck breasts in a bowl, prick all over and pour over boiling water.
Drain and dry. Place skin-side down in a non-stick pan over a low heat and slowly pan-roast until the fat renders and the skin is golden and crisp. Flip and quickly seal the other side. Season with salt and black pepper. 3 Pour the fat out of the pan (keep for roasting potatoes another time). Wipe the pan clean using kitchen paper. Pour in the dressing. Bring to a bubble and simmer for 1–2 minutes. Set aside. 4 When the duck is ready, increase the oven’s temperature to 220°C. Place the browned duck on top of the mushrooms – skin-side up – and roast for 5 minutes. Remove and rest for 5 minutes, leaving the mushrooms to roast for a further 5 minutes. 5 Steam the broccoli, fioretto and mange tout until just tender but still crisp and bright green. Toss in olive oil and spoon onto a platter. Spoon the mushrooms over the greens and top with the duck. Serve the dressing on the side.
CARB-CONSCIOUS, HEALTHCONSCIOUS, DAIRY-FREE, WHEAT- AND GLUTEN-FREE
WINE: Woolworths Signature Series Danie de Wet Chardonnay 2017