Name: Duck with caramelised apple, balsamic beetroot and amaretto sauce
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 100 gram butter, diced; 4 apples, cut into 1cm dice; 300 millilitre cider; 120 millilitre galliano amaretto; 100 millilitre cream; 500 gram baby beetroot, stalks trimmed, scrubbed; 120 millilitre olive oil; 80 millilitre balsamic vinegar; 1 teaspoon dijon mustard; 1/2 teaspoon sugar; 2 (250g) large duck breasts; 1/2 teaspoon chinese five spice; 2 tablespoon olive oil; 8 asparagus spears, trimmed, halved lengthways (or 1 bunch of broccolini)

Ingredients

100 gram butter, diced

4 apples, cut into 1cm dice

300 millilitre cider

120 millilitre galliano amaretto

100 millilitre cream

500 gram baby beetroot, stalks trimmed, scrubbed

120 millilitre olive oil

80 millilitre balsamic vinegar

1 teaspoon dijon mustard

1/2 teaspoon sugar

2 (250g) large duck breasts

1/2 teaspoon chinese five spice

2 tablespoon olive oil

8 asparagus spears, trimmed, halved lengthways (or 1 bunch of broccolini)

Method

1.Cook butter in a large saucepan over medium heat until nut brown. Add apples and fry until golden. Set aside.

2.Combine cider and amaretto in a pan over medium heat and reduce by three-quarters. Add cream and reduce to a thick, syrup-like consistency.

3.Meanwhile, bring a pot of salted water to the boil, add beetroot and cook for 8-10 minutes or until tender. Drain and peel skin off using kitchen gloves. Cut beetroot in half and transfer to a bowl. Whisk olive oil, vinegar, mustard and sugar together and pour over beetroot. Set aside to infuse then season to taste.

4.Trim off excess fat from duck and score skin in criss-cross pattern. Place heavy-based pan on medium heat. Season breasts on both sides and sprinkle five spice on exposed meat side.

5.Place duck in pan, skin-side down, and cook on low heat for 10-12 minutes or until skin is crispy. Pour off half the fat after 6 minutes (save this; it’s great for frying and roasting potatoes). Once nicely rendered and coloured, turn over breasts and cook for 1 minute. Remove from pan and rest for 5 minutes.

6.Heat oil in a frying pan over medium heat until hot then sauté asparagus for 1 minute. Season to taste. (If you can’t get asparagus, blanch 1 bunch broccolini – any thick stems halved – in boiling salted water for 2 minutes. Refresh in cold water and drain. Sauté in hot oil for 1-2 minutes. Season to taste.)

7.Slice each breast into 8 pieces. Scatter apples and beetroot around plates. Add duck and garnish with asparagus. Check sauce (if it is too thick, thin with a little cream) and drizzle over duck.

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Ingredients

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