Duck flatbreads with spiced plum sauce
Plum and duck are a classic combination: fruity sauce against rich meat. This is a bit of a cheat’s way with duck – using the tins of confit duck legs that you can buy in delis and posher supermarkets – but it does avoid the duck-cooking pitfalls and gives you meltingly soft meat with spicy and crispy skin.
Serves 4
6 plums, halved and stoned 2 tbsp soft brown sugar 2 tbsp Chinese five spice powder 1 tbsp soy sauce 100ml red wine vinegar
for the duck
425g confit duck 1 tbsp Chinese five spice
1 tsp soft brown sugar
for the flatbreads
300g plain flour ¼ tsp salt 150ml water 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
to serve
Half a cucumber, cut into batons A few spring onions, sliced
1 Put all of the ingredients for the sauce into a saucepan, season, and bring to a gentle simmer. Continue simmering until the plums have softened, then remove from the heat and blend with a stick blender. Taste and season again, if needed.
2 To make the flatbreads, put the flour and salt into a large bowl, and pour on the water and oil. Mix together to form a soft workable dough, adding more flour if it is too wet – more water, if too dry. Knead for 5 mins and then place the dough in a clean bowl to rest for half an hour.
3 Divide it into 8 and roll pieces into balls, then dust your work surface with a little more flour and roll them out about 2–3mm thick. Heat a heavy-bottomed frying pan until smoking hot, then cook each flatbread for a couple of mins on each side. Keep them warm under a couple of tea towels or in a low oven covered by kitchen foil until needed.
4 Preheat oven to 220C/Fan 200C/ Gas 7. Remove the duck legs from the fat and place them skin side down on a baking tray. Sprinkle over half of the five spice, half of the sugar, and a pinch of salt. Roast for 15 mins, then turn; sprinkle with the rest of the spices, sugar and salt, and cook for another 15–20 mins, or until the skin is crisp and brown.
5 Shred the duck from the bones and make up a plate of meat and crispy skin. Put the meat, flatbreads, sauce and accompaniments onto the table for all to help themselves to.