Grilled Duck Skewers with Kale and Pomegranates Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 Duck Breasts, (397g) skin and breast meat separated, breast sliced on the angle into 2 inch piece slices.
• 4 large bamboo skewers, pre-soaked in cold water
• 2 tbsp of vegetable oil

For the Marinade

:

• 3 cloves of garlic, crushed, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 inch fresh root ginger, peeled and grated
• 2 tbsp runny honey
• 3 tbsp Hoisin sauce
• 1 tsp Sriracha or good chilli sauce of your choice
• 3 tbsp low sodium light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 1 pinch ground white pepper

For the Kale Stir-fry

• 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
• 1 medium red Fresno chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
• 160g Cavolo Nero, or dinosaur kale, or curly kale, washed, sliced into 1 inch pieces
• 2 large pinches cracked sea salt
• 1 lemon, juiced

For the Fried Spiced Crispy Duck skin

:

• 500ml groundnut oil
• 1 tsp Sichuan pepper, toasted, ground in a pestle and mortar
• 2 pinches cracked sea salt
• 2 pinches cracked black pepper
• 1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
• 2 tbsp potato starch
• 1 pinch dried chilli flakes

For the garnish

:

• Few wedges of lemon
• 2 tbsp of Pomegranate seeds
• On the side - Satsuma soy dressing
• 2 ripe small Satsuma, zest and juice
• ½ lemon, zest and juice
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp low sodium light soy sauce
• Pinch cracked sea salt
• Pinch of cracked black pepper

Method

1. Wash the duck breasts and pat dry. Remove the skin from the duck breasts.

2. In a bowl, add all the marinade ingredients for the duck and marinade the breast meat for 1 hour, covered in the fridge to absorb all the flavours.

3. Prepare the rest of the ingredients. And pre-soak some bamboo skewers in cold water for 20 minutes.

4. With the duck skin, slice into pieces and dress with the spice mix and potato starch and set to one side. Heat a medium pan of fill with vegetable oil. When the oil has reached 180 degrees, place the seasoned duck skin pieces into the oil and fry for 5 minutes until golden brown. Remove using a slotted spoon and drain excess oil on absorbent kitchen paper. Set aside.

5. Once the duck breasts have been marinated. Remove from the fridge and skewer the duck meat on the bamboo skewers.

6. Heat a griddle on high heat and brush the griddle with vegetable oil. Place the skewers on the grill and cook for 2 minutes on each side. Turn the heat to medium and cook the skewers basting with the marinade as it cooks for a further minute on each side. The marinade will make a sticky delicious glaze. Take off the heat and set the skewers to one side and to rest the meat.

7. Heat a medium wok over high heat and add the rapeseed oil, then add in the chilli and the kales pieces and toss in the wok for 30 seconds. Cook for another 30 seconds until the kale has turned a deeper translucent green but is still al dente and season with cracked sea salt and lemon juice. Toss together and take off the heat.

8. To serve, transfer the skewers to a warm serving plate, serve with the wok fried kale on the side, some of the fried crispy duck skin, a wedge of lemon and some garnish with some pomegranate seeds and serve immediately. Serve with a zesty Satsuma dressing on the side by whisking all the ingredients together and some Jasmine rice tossed through with some coriander if you wish.