HONEY-BRAISED DUCK WITH ALMONDS & RAISINS

Tonight's dinner was this recipe from Neil Perry's Simply Good Food cookbook called Honey-braised duck with almonds and olives, but I followed his suggestion and used raisins instead of olives. I like recipes that mix duck with fruit..... It is super easy to make and loved the fact that it is not too greasy - you get rid of the rendered fat from the duck. Also, I used free range duck legs. I used the lemon juice, but I put it as an optional ingredient because it gave the sauce a bit of a sour and acidic flavour, that some people might not like. I think it works well when using raisins, because it cuts through its sweetness and balances the flavours. Anyway, it was delicious and the meat was falling off the bone. Served with some wholemeal couscous as suggested, it was certainly a scrumptious meal 😋😍🥰😁!

Ingredients

4 large duck legs

sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

8 brown shallots, halved lengthways if large

500 ml chicken stock

1 Tbsp honey

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground coriander

6 garlic cloves, peeled

1 rosemary sprig, leaves picked

100 g whole blanched almonds

100 g raisins (or 180g green olives)

juice of 1 lemon (optional)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C.

Cut the duck legs in two at the joint (if they are very large) and season with salt and pepper.

Heat the oil over medium heat in a deep, ovenproof, heavy-based pan until it smokes. Add the duck, skin side down, and brown for 2 minutes on each side.

Remove from the pan and set aside.

Add the shallots to the pan and toss over medium heat until golden.

Remove and set aside.

Discard the oil and rendered duck fat. Add the stock, stirring to loosen any caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the honey and spices, return the duck to the pan, skin side up, along with the shallots, garlic, rosemary, almonds and raisins (or olives) and season. Bring to the boil.

Transfer the pan to the oven and bake for 10 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 180C, cover with a tight-fitting lid or several layers of foil and bake for a further 40 minutes.

Strain the duck mixture through a fine sieve into a large bowl, reserving the solids. Return the liquid to the pan and simmer, uncovered, to reduce by about half or until a good sauce consistency. Skim any impurities from the top. Add the lemon juice if using. Return the duck and other solids to the pan, heat through and taste for seasoning.

Serve with a bowl of steamed couscous or rice ad a large salad.

Serves 4

Notes from the author:

"This dish is a cracker with chicken or quail instead of the duck. I also like it with raisins in place of the olives."

Comments

TOMATO CARPACCIO WITH SPRING ONION & GINGER SALSA

There is only one trick to this salad: the tomatoes must be ripe! The rest is easy and it is so delicious, you will want to make it many times. It would be a fantastic side dish to accompany any recipe. It is exceptionally good. INGREDIENTS 3cm piece of ginger, peeled and roughly chopped 3 spring onions, very finely sliced 40ml sunflower or olive oil 2 tsp good quality sherry vinegar 400g (beef) tomatoes (2-3 depending on size) sliced 2mm thick 1 small green chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 1 1/2 Tbsp finely shredded coriander 1 Tbsp olive oil flaked sea salt METHOD: Put the ginger and 1/2 teaspoon of flaked salt into a pestle and mortar and crush to a fine paste. Transfer to a bowl with the spring onions and stir to combine. Put the oil into a small pan and place on a low heat until just warm: you don't want it to heat too much. Pour over the spring onions and add 1 teaspoon of vinegar. Stir together and set aside. Chop the chili and shred the

SLOW-BAKED LAMB SHOULDER

This is a lamb recipe that is so delicious you are going to make it more than once. A favourite of friends and family. I like to accompany with a couscous salad with feta and almonds and a yoghurt and bean dip . Recipes in this blog. INGREDIENTS 1.8 - 2.2 kg lamb shoulder, with or without the bone 2 tsp sea salt flakes 8 cloves garlic, roughly chopped 6 sprigs rosemary, stripped and leaves chopped 1 Tbsp black peppercorns 100ml extra virgin olive oil zest and juice of 1 lemon 3 Tbsp dried oregano 100ml white wine vinegar METHOD: Preheat the oven to 150°C (fan-forced). Trim extra fat from lamb. If you using a shoulder with the bone, make small incisions on the skin. Grind the salt, garlic, rosemary and peppercorns in a mortar and pestle or small food processor. Add the olive oil, lemon zest and juice and dried oregano. If using a boned shoulder, open out the lamb. Massage the marinade into the lamb. Make sure it goes into the small incisions. Place t

TOFU MEATBALL KORMA

Tonight's meal is the Ottolenghi's Korma Feast. Gosh it was delicious 😋 ! I have been super tired with work and haven't felt much like cooking. We have not been eating very well in the last couple of weeks.... But tonight we really had a great meal even though I had to spend hours in the kitchen 🙄 . But it was worth it 😁 . Tofu meatball korma & Spicy berbere ratatouille with Olive oil flatbreads . All made from scratch. Just superb! The tofu meatballs are just amazing. I have leftover tofu and will make a batch and freeze them for another day. I can eat them just with no sauce or any other sauce. They would be lovely with some tomato base sauce or any curry sauce. But even with a side vegetable dish or salad. My husband thought that they were made with mince meat!! Yum yum! Ingredients ½ red onion, thinly sliced (60g) 2 tbsp lemon juice 40g cashews 20g blanched almonds 6 cardamom pods, shells discarded and seeds removed 2 tsp cumin seeds 2 tsp coriander seeds

THE BEST ONION GRATIN

I love this recipe. I have to stop myself for not eating more than I need. It goes really well as part of a baked dinner. When you try it, you'd want to make it again and again. 😍😋💚 Ingredients 4 medium red onions, peeled and quartered olive oil sea salt & freshly ground black pepper 8 sprigs of fresh thyme, leaves picked 2 cloves of garlic, peeled and sliced a small wineglass of white wine 4 Tbsp crème fraîche 50g gruyère cheese, grated 50g parmesan cheese, grated Preparation Preheat the oven to 200°C. Break the onion quarters apart to give you little 'petals'. Place these in an earthenware oven dish. Drizzle with a couple of glugs of olive oil and a pinch of salt and pepper, and toss in your thyme and garlic. Mix up well, add your white wine. Cover with a double layer of tinfoil, wrap tightly and place in the preheated oven. Bake for 45 minutes, then remove the dish from the oven, take the tinfoil off and pop the dish back in the ove

ROAST CABBAGE WITH PECORINO

This is the first time I cooked this recipe and it is amazing!! We had leftovers and served warmed the following day for lunch with family members and they all wanted the recipe. It is just a very different way to eat cabbage and it is scrumptious. From Ottolenghi's cookbook 'Simple'. INGREDIENTS 120ml olive oil 2 lemons: finely grate the zest to get 2 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp lemon juice 2 garlic cloves, crushed 1 cabbage (sweetheart, pointed cabbage or other), cut lengthways into eighths a small handful of parsley or tarragon leaves, roughly chopped 30g of pecorino or parmesan cheese, shaved salt and black pepper METHOD: Preheat oven to 220°C. In a small bowl or jar, whisk together the oil, lemon zest, garlic, 1/4 tsp salt and a good grind of pepper. Set aside 2 Tbsp. Arrange the cabbage on a parchment-lined tray and brush with the oil mixture. Roast for 20-25 minutes, until the edges are crisp and golden-brown. Transfer the c

HOMECOOKING WITH TERESA

Search This Blog