Duck Breasts With a Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp (60ml) olive oil
- 2 onions, very thinly sliced
- ½ tsp (2.5ml) ground turmeric
- 3½ cups – 14 oz (400g) walnuts, roughly chopped
- 1 litre 1¾ pints/ 4 cups duck or chicken stock
- 6 pomegranates
- 2 tbsp (30ml) caster sugar
- 4 tbsp (60ml) lemon juice
- 4 duck breasts, about 8 oz (225g) each
- Salt and ground black pepper
Instructions
- #This is an extremely exotic sweet-and-sour dish which originally came from Persia.# Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and turmeric, and cook gently until soft. Transfer to a pan, add the walnuts and stock, then season with salt and pepper. Stir, then bring to the boil and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Duck Breasts With a Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce Recipe-mediterranean foods - Cut the pomegranates in half and scoop out the seeds into a bowl. Reserve the seeds of one pomegranate. Transfer the remaining seeds to a blender or food processor, and process to break them up. Strain through a sieve, to extract the juice, and stir in the sugar and lemon juice.
- Score the skin of the duck breasts in a lattice fashion with a sharp knife. Heat the remaining oil in a frying pan or char grill and place the duck breasts in it, skin side down.
- Cook gently for 10 minutes, pouring off the fat from time to time, until the skin is dark golden and crisp. Turn them over and cook for a further 3-4 minutes. Transfer to a plate and leave to rest.
- Deglaze the frying pan or char grill with the pomegranate juice mixture, stirring with a wooden spoon, then add the walnut and stock mixture and simmer for 15 minutes until the sauce has thickened slightly. Serve the duck breasts sliced, drizzled with a little sauce, and garnished with the reserved pomegranate seeds.
- Serve the remaining sauce separately. #COOK’S TIP# Choose pomegranates with shiny, brightly colored skins. The juice stains, so take care when cutting them. Only the seeds are used in cooking the pith is discarded.