Duck confit with apple, fennel & walnut salad
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This will be the last meal offering in our Christmas cuisine guide. Duck is a
lot simpler to prepare than most people believe. Pair it with a big glass of
Pinot Noir, (like the Escarpment Pinot Noir from Martinborough).
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 600g jar morello cherries, drained
- 1 1/2 cups (375ml) red wine
- 1 cup (250ml) port
- 1 cinnamon quill
- 3 star anise
- 6 cloves
- 1/4 firmly packed cup (50g) brown sugar
- 2 small green apples
- 1 small fennel bulb
- 1/2 cup walnut pieces, toasted, roughly chopped
- 3 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 cup flat-leaf parsley leaves, roughly chopped
- 2 tsp cornflour mixed with
- 1 tbs cold water
- 4 duck confit marylands (available from any good food Market)
- 2 tbs olive oil
- 1 tbs lemon juice
Method
- Bring cherries, wine, port, spices and sugar to the boil in a saucepan over high heat, then simmer for 10 minutes over medium-high heat until sauce is reduced by half.
- Meanwhile, cut apple and fennel into thin matchsticks and toss in a bowl with nuts, spring onion and parsley.
- Mix a little sauce with cornflour mixture in a small bowl, then stir into the pan and allow sauce to thicken for 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Cover to keep warm while you cook duck.
- Scrape excess fat from the duck (it can be kept in the fridge and used to fry potatoes). Heat a large non-stick frypan over medium-high heat. Cook duck for 2 minutes each side or until crisp and heated through.
- Whisk oil with lemon juice, season, then toss with salad. Serve duck with a drizzle of sauce and salad on the side.