Friday, April 14, 2006
Smoked Duck with Warm Potato & Watercress Salad
If you check the food section on the website of the BBC to find out what is in season this month you are told that:"'April is the cruellest month' according to TS Eliot, but after a winter that seemed to last forever, the arrival of spring seems anything but mean-spirited now that the brighter colours and flavours are breaking through."
When I
read this before after coming home from the market on Saturday, I could have sworn someone had read my thoughts and written them out in front of me. I could not have expressed better how I felt today. The sun was shining the second day in a row, but the wind was still bitterly cold and dark clouds were lurking on the horizon dampening the feeling of anticipation and happiness caused by the advent of brighter days. And yet I could not help but feel good at the sight of purple spouting broccoli, deep green water cress and young carrots glowing colourfully in the mild morning sunshine, crisp salad greens and firm, white cauliflower beckoning you to eat them right there and then and fresh herbs filling the air with the scent of summer. Finally the season of stews and roasts is over!1 smoked duck breast
200 g waxy new potatoes
20 g watercress sprigs
4 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 shallot, finely chopped (alternatively ½ mild onion)
a handful of morel mushrooms (alternatively a handful brown button mushrooms and, if available, a few dried morel mushrooms), sliced
a handful of brown button mushrooms
salt and pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 150 degrees Celsius. Bring the potatoes to the boil in a pan of water add some salt and simmer until just tender, 15 to 20 minutes depending on the size of the potatoes.
Meanwhile, wash the watercress, dry well and put it into a large salad bowl. Whisk 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, the vinegar and some salt and freshly ground black pepper, then set aside.
About 10 minutes before the potatoes are cooked, put the duck breast in an ovenproof dish and gently heat through in the oven. You do not want to cook it! Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a heavy-based frying pan over medium heat, add the brown mushrooms (and dried mushrooms, if using) and fry gently until they have released their liquid. Add the morel mushrooms and continue to cook until brown.
Remove the duck from the oven and allow to rest for a minute or two, then cut into thin slices. Drain the potatoes and cut them in half or slice them (depending on their size) into a second salad bowl and stir in the dressing, and juices from the duck and the chopped shallots. Finally, add the watercress and mix gently.
Arrange the duck slices on two plates, surrounded by the potato salad and topped with the fried mushrooms. Grate some Parmesan over the top and serve immediately.
Christine at 11:32 pm
