Monday meals #2. Chinese spiced roast duck with homemade plum sauce and smokey butternut squash.

Duck is a huge family favourite and even more so if it is Chinese inspired. With duck breasts being so reasonable to buy these days, it is a great alternative to a Sunday roast or if you fancy a fake-away with no msg then this is a great recipe to have on file, the sweet fruity sauce means it is a winner with the kids.

 

Ingredients

Duck breast ( I buy the Silverhill duck breasts on offer, where you can get a two pack for five euro)

Honey

Chinese five spice

Salt (optional)

Butternut squash

Paprika

Green vegetables, (I like asparagus,long stem broccoli and green beans with duck)

 Sauce ingredients

Four medium size plums

beef stock ( 300ml)

red currant jelly 2 to 3 tablespoons

Light soy sauce 1 teaspoon

Red wine vinegar 1 tablespoon

Balsamic vinegar 1 tablespoon

 

Method

Pre heat the oven to 180 degrees ( fan oven)

Chop the butternut squash in cube size portions, coat in paprika, spray some garlic oil , place in roasting tin and into the oven.

Dry the duck breast with kitchen paper to soak off any excess fluids from the packaging.

Scour the skin of duck breast with a sharp knife in diagonal shapes and rub in some salt( optional) and chinese five spice. Squeeze over some honey and rub it into both sides of the meat.

 

 

On a medium heated, slightly oiled pan slowly crisp up the skin ( skin side down ) for about ten minutes.

I use a griddle pan because I can then pop this into the oven to finish off the cooking, which should only take about a further fifteen to twenty minutes.

 

Whilst the duck is cooking you can now make your sauce

 

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Chop up the plums and pop into a saucepan on the hob. Add in all the ingredients for the sauce and let it come to the boil and then simmer until it reduces down  ( about fifteen minutes. Use a handblender to blend the sauce down to the consistency you prefer. I sometimes leave some chunkier bits of plum in my sauce. Turn the duck skin side up for the last five minutes of cooking so it crisps up some more.

Serve the duck with the butternut squash or for added carbs add in some egg fried basmati rice, whole-wheat noodles. Serve some greens as pictured here and enjoy a meal at home which has no hidden extras and one all the family will enjoy:)