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Pan-fried duck breast with a Moroccan cauliflower salad, duck scratchings and a beetroot dressing

Preparation time
less than 30 mins

Cooking time
over 2 hours

Serves
Serves 2

By Matt Tebbutt
From Saturday Kitchen

Ingredients

  • small bunch mixed baby beetroot (red, candy, striped), trimmed
  • 2 thyme sprigs
  • 2 duck breasts, skin removed and reserved
  • 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for drizzling
  • 25g/1oz butter
  • 1 white cauliflower, half broken into florets, half grated
  • 200ml/7fl oz milk
  • 3 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp black onion seeds
  • 1 tsp cumin seeds
  • 1 tsp crushed coriander seeds
  • 4 crushed cardamom pods
  • half purple cauliflower, broken into florets
  • half Romanseco cauliflower, broken into florets
  • 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli
  • 2 cooked red beetroots
  • 1 cooked yellow beetroot, peeled
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6

  2. Rub the baby beetroots with olive oil and sprinkle with thyme, salt and pepper. Cover with foil and cook for about 2 hours, or until soft.

  3. Meanwhile, carefully remove the skin from the duck breasts, wrap in cling film and freeze until solid. Shred as finely as possible.

  4. Once the beets are cool enough to handle, peel and cut into quarters.

  5. Heat a dash oil in a frying pan over a medium heat and cook the duck breasts for 10–12 minutes until medium rare. Remove and set aside to rest.

  6. Add the duck skin to the pan and fry until crisp. Remove and drain on kitchen paper. When cool enough to handle, slice into strips.

  7. Melt the butter in a frying pan over a medium heat. Add the grated cauliflower, garlic and chilli and gently cook, without colouring, for 5–8 minutes. Add the milk and cook until soft. Pour into a blender or food processor and blend into a purée. Pass through a fine sieve and set aside.

  8. Dry fry the seeds and spices in a frying pan until toasted and aromatic. Bash in a pestle and mortar.

  9. Blanch the cauliflower florets in boiling water for 3 minutes, drain and toss in the toasted spices, chilli and garlic. Set aside.

  10. Blitz the cooked red beetroots in a blender until smooth.

  11. Place the cauliflower purée in the centre of two plates and scatter over the cauliflower florets and baby beetroot. Slice the duck on a diagonal into strips and serve between the two plates. Scatter the duck scratchings on top. Spoon over the beetroot dressing, finish with the yellow beetroot slices and serve.

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