Recipe - Home-smoked duck salad with baby beetroot, Parmesan and walnuts

Home-smoked duck salad with baby beetroot, Parmesan and walnuts


Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
1 fresh duck breast
Oak chips or Earl Grey tea leaves, for smoking
Fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepperFOR THE BEETROOT
12 baby beetroot (see tip 1)
2 tbsp olive oil
3 sprigs thyme
3 garlic cloves, lightly crushed with the side of a knife
Quarter of a small red onion, peeled and finely sliced
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp clear honey
15g butter
1 tbsp ruby port
1 tbsp cold waterFOR THE SALAD
25g fine green beans
Baby red chard or red sorrel leaves, washed and drained
A few red chicory leaves, trimmed, washed and sliced lengthways (see tip 2)
2 tsp ready-made vinaigrette
25g walnut halves, lightly toasted and broken in half
Small block of Parmesan cheese, made into thin shavings using a potato peeler

METHOD
FOR THE BEETROOT
Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7.
Trim the beetroot stalks to around 2cm. Take a large piece of foil and place the beetroot in the centre. Drizzle with 1 tbsp of the olive oil, then add thyme and garlic. Season with salt and pepper.
Bring the foil up to enclose the filling. Fold over to seal. Place on a baking tray.
Bake for about 1 hour until very tender (see tip 3).
Remove from the oven and, using oven gloves, carefully unwrap.
Tip into a mixing bowl and cover with cling film. Leave for 20 minutes to allow the skins to loosen and the beetroot to cool.
Remove the cling film and discard the thyme and garlic.
Peel the beetroot (see tip 4) and cut into quarters. Put 12 of the quarters into a bowl, add the onion and stir in 1 tsp of the vinegar, the honey and remaining 1 tbsp olive oil. Toss lightly and set aside.
To make the beetroot puree, place the rest of the beetroot quarters in a small saucepan with the butter and seasoning. Cook over a medium heat for 2 minutes, then add the port and water. Bring to the boil and cook for a further 2 minutes until the liquid has reduced by half.
Remove from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tsp vinegar and cream. Blend in a food processor until smooth, then press though a very fine sieve into a small bowl. Season to taste.
Transfer to a squeezy bottle with a narrow nozzle. (see tip 5)FOR THE SALAD
Cook the green beans in boiling salted water for about 3 minutes or until tender. Drain in a sieve, then plunge into a bowl of cold water with a handful of ice cubes.
Leave for 10 minutes, then lift out with a slotted spoon and carefully split the beans in half lengthways. Toss the red chard, chicory and green beans with the dressing in a small bowl. FOR THE DUCK
Preheat the oven to 220°C/Gas 7. Cover the base of a hob-top steamer with about 2cm oak chips or tea leaves.
Cover with a tightly fitting lid and place over a medium heat until the oak chips or tea leaves begin to smoke. It's probably a good idea to open the window and turn your kitchen fan on at this point!
Season the duck breast with salt and pepper and place in the steamer, skin-side up. Cover and smoke the duck for about 5 minutes. (see tip 6)
Remove from the heat and, with the lid still on, place the pan outside as it cools down. When the smoke clears, you can remove the duck.
Heat a heavy-based, ovenproof frying pan over a high heat and add the duck breast – skin-side down. Cook for 2 minutes until the skin is crisp, then turn over and cook on the other side for a further 1-2 minutes until browned.
Place the pan in the oven and bake for 4-5 minutes until cooked but still pink.
Remove from the oven, transfer to a plate and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

Recipe tips

1. If you can’t find raw beetroot, buy vacuum-packed, cooked baby beetroot – but make sure it is plain and not seasoned with vinegar.
   
2. You can use any baby salad leaves you like for this recipe and white chicory if you can’t find red chicory.
   
3. A metal skewer should slide easily into the beetroot when it’s cooked. If it still feels hard, simply return to the oven for a further 10-15 minutes or until tender.
   
4. Wear latex gloves (available from chemists and larger supermarkets) when you peel the beetroot to prevent the juice from staining your skin.
   
5. If the beetroot puree is too thick to pipe in a continuous zigzag, add a little water and return to the bottle before trying again.
   
6. Buy a ready smoked duck breast if you don’t have time to smoke and cook your own – look for them in larger supermarkets, delis and on-line. It won’t be quite the same, but makes a good alternative.

TO PRESENT THE DISH
1 Squeeze the beetroot puree onto a long oval plate in a continuous zigzag. (You can buy squeezy bottles from catering suppliers.)
2 Place half the glazed beetroot quarters along the length of the plate.
3 Add a few walnut halves and a few green beans to the dish.
4 Slice the duck breast and place half the slices down the length of the plate.
5 Finish with the dressed salad leaves and parmesan shavings.
6 Repeat the method on a second plate with the remaining ingredients and serve.