This is actually a very easy recipe to prepare and serve. The duck breasts are very quick and easy to marinate. All the components for the salad can be prepared the day before and tossed together at the last minute and the rice noodle rolls sautéed while the duck is resting.
Rosie
STAR ANISE DUCK BREASTS WITH PICKLED RHUBARB, FENNEL AND ORANGE SALAD AND GINGER RICE NOODLE ROLLS
Serves 8
Star Anise Duck Breasts
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
1 teaspoon fennel seeds
4 star anise
1.5 teaspoons salt flakes
50 gm fresh ginger
8 duck breasts, around 200g each
Grind peppercorns, fennel seeds and star anise in a spice grinder. Add the salt. Peel and finely grate the ginger, squeeze over a small bowl to remove all the juice. Reserve the juice and discard the pulp.
Trim the duck breasts as needed and slash the skin at 1/2 cm intervals being careful not to cut the flesh. Rub the ginger juice over each breast followed by the ground spices and salt mix. Allow to marinate 4-6 hours or overnight.
When ready to cook, preheat the oven to 180°. Line one or two baking trays with baking paper.
Heat two large frying pans over medium heat and fry duck breasts, skin side down until golden brown. Transfer, skin side up, to prepared baking trays. Reserve 3-4 tablespoons duck fat in which to saute the rice noodle rolls. Bake duck for 8-10 minutes or until it is rosy pink in the centre. Allow to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile, arrange some salad on each of 10 plates. Slice the duck breasts on the diagonal and arrange on top of the salad.
Candied Orange Garnish for Duck (optional)
4 Oranges, washed, dried
225 gm caster sugar
125 mls water
Zest oranges keeping strips as long as possible. Dissolve 1/2 the caster sugar in the water over a low heat then simmer for 2 minutes. Add the orange zest and simmer for around 10 minutes until the sugar syrup has become thick and syrupy and the zest is becoming translucent. Have the remaining sugar on a piece of baking paper on a flat surface. Strain the orange zest discarding the syrup. With gloved hands, very quickly and gently toss the hot orange zest through the sugar to coat and separate each strip. When cold gently sift away any excess sugar. Store the candied orange in an airtight container for up to 5 days.
Salad
3 oranges
2 heads fennel
2 bunches flat leaf parsley, leaves only
2 cups pickled rhubarb (see below)
2 heads witlof, leaves separated
Extra virgin olive oil
Good quality Red wine vinegar
Salt flakes to taste
Peel oranges, removing all the pith as you go. Segment the oranges, cutting in between each membrane so you have completely ‘nude’ segments.
Trim the fennel and just before serving shave finely on a mandoline. Combine all ingredients and gently toss with olive oil, red wine vinegar and salt to taste.
Pickled Rhubarb
2 golden shallots, finely sliced
1 bunch rhubarb, cut into julienne then into 1cm lengths
50 gm fresh ginger, in fine julienne
300 mls Japanese rice vinegar
200 gm caster sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
Toss shallots, rhubarb and ginger together in a heat proof bowl. Place the vinegar, caster sugar and salt in a small saucepan, allow the sugar to dissolve over a low heat then bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 minutes the immediately pour over the rhubarb mix. Strain the liquid back into the saucepan and bring to the boil again. Pour over the rhubarb mix and allow to stand, tossing from time to time until cold. Transfer to a non corrosive container and allow to stand for 4-6 hours unrefrigerated. Store in the fridge.
Sauteed Fresh Rice Noodles with Ginger and Shallots
750 gm fresh rice noodle rolls
3 tablespoons reserved duck fat
½ bunch green onions, finely sliced
40 gm fresh ginger, in fine julienne
1 tablespoon shoyu (or gluten-free soy sauce)
Cut the fresh rice noodle rolls in half widthways. Heat the oil in a frying pan large enough to hold the rice noodle rolls without over crowding. If you don’t have one pan large enough, use two.
Over a medium/high heat add the green onions and ginger and saute half a minute. Add the shoyu then the rice noodle rolls and toss to coat. Cook until coloured and heated through. Serve immediately.