Duck and sweet potato is a loving marriage; so what could be better than a dinner that pairs the two ingredients and along with pickled fennel and a salad dressed in a raspberry vinaigrette?

This duck breast salad recipe is truly magnificent all year round.

Prep Time

    •    Prep time: 40 minutes
    •    Cook time: 20 minutes
    •    Yield: Serves 4

Ingredients

For Gressingham duck breasts:

    •    salt
    •    4 duck breasts

For pickled fennel:

    •    1 bulb fennel
    •    50g caster sugar
    •    100ml white wine
    •    100ml white wine vinegar

For salad:

    •    2 bunches asparagus
    •    500g mixed salad leaves, washed and dried

For raspberry vinaigrette:

    •    pepper
    •    olive oil
    •    flaky sea salt
    •    200ml olive oil
    •    1 sweet potato
    •    1 punnet raspberries
    •    1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
    •    50ml raspberry vinegar

Method

1. To begin, break down the layers of fennel and shave or slice as thinly as possible. Place in a heatproof bowl and set aside for pickling.
2. Combine the white wine vinegar, caster sugar and white wine in a pan and bring to the boil. Take off the heat and pour over the sliced fennel. Leave to cool and refrigerate.
3. Peel and cut the sweet potato into 2.5cm cubes. Gently fry in a large oiled frying pan over a medium-high heat until golden in colour.
4. Once cooked, move the sweet potato to a tray large enough to comfortably fit the duck breasts as well as the potato and set aside.
5. Take off the woody end of the asparagus and peel 3/4 of the way up the spear. Blanch the asparagus in a pot of salted boiling water for 2-3 minutes or until tender, strain and set aside.
6. Mix the raspberries, raspberry vinegar and Dijon mustard in a bowl. Gently whisk, whilst pouring in the olive oul a bit at a time until thoroughly combined. Season to taste and set aside.
7. Preheat your oven to 180oC/ Fan Oven 160oC/Gas Mark 4.
8. Sprinkle a few pinches of salt in a dry pan and put over a medium heat. Lightly score the skin and place the duck breasts, skin-side down, in the pan for 4-6 minutes.
9. As the fat slowly renders out of the skin, remove with a spoon to allow the skin to crisp up nicely.
10. Place the duck breasts in the tray with the sweet potato cubes. Bake in the oven for 5-6 minutes, then remove and allow to rest for a further 5-6 before serving.
11. Mix the salad leaves, asparagus and fennel in a large bowl and add in some of the raspberry vinaigrette. Put the salad in the middle of each plate.
12. To present, arrange the sweet potato around the plate with some raspberries. Slice the duck breast and fan out on top of the salad. Drizzle with more vinaigrette, flaky sea salt and serve.

This great family recipe is thanks to Gressingham Duck at https://www.gressinghamduck.co.uk/recipes/duck-breast-sweet-potato-pickled-fennel/