CedarCreek Estate Winery, Chef Neil Taylor’s Estate Honey and Balsamic Glazed Duck Breast with Grilled Onions, Wild Greens and Pine Nuts

Serves 2

Ingredients

2 x 6oz duck breasts – skin scored in a crosshatch pattern
1 red onion – peeled and cut into 1 cm rounds
200 g of mixed wild greens such as mustard greens, dandelions and nettles or if you can’t get a hold of wild greens use a mix of spinach, arugula and watercress – washed and any large stems trimmed off
2tbs toasted pine nuts
2 tbs CedarCreek Estate Honey or wildflower honey
150ml balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Method

  • Take your duck breasts out of the fridge and allow to come to room temperature 30 minutes before cooking.
  • Lay the rounds of onion onto a baking sheet, season with salt and pepper, drizzle with a little olive oil and grill over a medium heat (either on a BBQ or in a grill pan) on both sides for 2-3 minutes or until you have some good char marks and so that the onion still retains some texture (think of the onion being 70% cooked but with some crunch still). Place the onions into a bowl and pour over 50ml of the balsamic vinegar, a drizzle more oil and a touch more salt and pepper. Toss the onions and cover the bowl with cling film, set aside until later.
  • Season the duck breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. In a frying pan over a low-medium heat put the duck into the pan skin-side down, they should just start to sizzle very lightly, keep them on the skin side continue to cook them like this for 6-7 minutes, every now and again drain off any excess fat that collects in the pan (keep this fat, brilliant for roasting potatoes in for Sunday lunch!) Take your time with this process and make sure the skin gets nice and crispy and golden brown in colour. Feel free to turn up the heat if you think the duck is not getting any colour or crispy.
  • Once you have nice crispy skin turn the pan up to medium heat and sear the other side of the duck breast for 2 minutes or so. Take the duck out of the pan and set aside to rest while you finish the dish. Keep the frying pan in which you have cooked the duck in. We will use it again later.
  • Next put a medium sized sauté pan onto the stove and turn on to a medium-high heat. Once hot add a glug of olive oil (it should start to smoke slightly) add the greens, a good pinch of salt and pepper and stir with a wooden spoon until it starts to wilt and cook. Take out of the pan and squeeze out any excess liquid.
  • Mix the wilted wild greens and grilled onions together, taste, season with a touch of salt and pepper if needed and add the juices from the onions and the toasted pine nuts.
  • Next take the pan in which you cooked the duck and put it back on the stove over a medium heat, place the duck back into the pan skin-side down and once it starts to fry again quickly add the honey and turn the duck over in the pan as the honey caramelizes, quickly before the honey burns pour in the remaining balsamic vinegar and again turn the duck over to glaze it all over in the honey and balsamic. Take it out of the pan and set aside. Pour out any excess glaze from the pan and set aside.
  • Share the greens/onion/pine nut mix onto two warmed plates and then slice each duck breast lengthways and place the duck on top of the greens. Spoon over the remaining glaze you had left and eat!

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