Chinese Five-Spice Roasted Duck Legs with Lentils and Cherries
Photography by Josh Griggs.
The perfect combination of sweet and sour with tart cherries complementing the rich, meaty duck legs and a hearty salad of lentils and green beans.
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
4 duck legs (thigh and drumstick)
sea salt, ground pepper and ground Chinese five-spice
Mustard dressing
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon honey
sea salt and ground pepper
Salad
¾ cup puy lentils, cooked as per packet instructions
1 small red onion, very thinly sliced
good handful fresh herbs ripped coarsely (I used mint and parsley)
250 grams green beans, blanched
680-gram jar pitted cherries, drained
METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan bake.
Season both sides of the duck with salt and pepper then sprinkle the flesh side with a little five-spice powder.
Heat a sauté pan over medium heat and add the duck, skin-side down. Cook until the skin is golden. Transfer to a shallow roasting tray and roast for 45 minutes or until tender.
Mustard dressing: Whisk all the ingredients together to make a thick emulsified dressing. Season.
Salad: Place the cooked puy lentils and the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl and toss with ¾ of the dressing.
To serve: Divide the salad between plates. Top with a duck leg, then drizzle over the remaining dressing.
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