Indian dry spiced crispy duck breast with char-grilled peach, crusted paneer and hot green salad of spinach, peas and beans
There are a few things going on here, nothing that should bust your ass too much, but have a quick read through so you can get your timings right. The duck will sit in a pan for 10 mins, under a grill for 5 and rest for 5 – so really, apart from prepping and slicing it, there isn’t much to do, so you can crack on with other things. The better prep, the quicker everything will be. Put the kettle on, grab a large frying pan (first for the duck quick wipe down and then to warm the salad as the end), a saucepan to do some blanching and a smaller frying pan for the paneer. Also grab a large mixing bowl and a smaller one – for coating the duck and paneer. If you want the griddle effect on the peaches, which also adds flavour, get a heavy griddle pan on a high heat now – needs to be smoking – we don’t want to cook the peach, we want to char it very very fast and that means hot hot hot.
Servings Prep Time
2people 25minutes
Cook Time
25minutes
Servings Prep Time
2people 25minutes
Cook Time
25minutes
Ingredients
The quack quack
The paneer
The warm green salad
  • 1handful broad beansyou need to blanch them and peel (don’t just take them out of the pods)
  • 5stems asparagusslice them to about an inch and a half, do it on an angle too
  • 1fistful green beansyou’ll slice these too, same size as the asparagus
  • 1large handful spinach leavesthis is the ‘bed’ and goes so well with paneer – like lovers
  • 1handful peasfrozen ones are ace
  • 2green spring onionssliced at an angle for garnish, the white and lots of the green
  • 1red spring onionsslice thinly, at an angle looks nice
  • 2whole peachesI used doughnut peaches, slice then about 1cm, not too thin
Instructions
  1. Let’s do the spice mixes first, at the same time. Two bowls, the large one is for the duck. Add the spice list to each bowl respectively and the oil only to the large one, give em both a mix.
  2. Add the boiling water from the kettle to your saucepan on a high heat and blanch the broad beans, green beans, peas and asparagus – 2-3 minutes tops at a rolling boil.
  3. Place your duck in to the large bowl and cover it in the mixture and let it sit there for a few minutes at room temp whilst you sort the paneer. Put your large frying pan on a medium heat. Drain your greens and let them steam.
  4. Get your perfectly sized paneer chunks and coat them in a little vegetable oil and then add it to the spice mixture. Toss them around until they are perfectly coated all over and dry to look at. Set aside.
  5. Place the duck breasts in to the pan skin side down and leave it for 10 minutes. Check it from time to time just in case you have the heat too high – don’t let it burn, but it will pick up a very dark colour – that doesn’t mean that it’s burnt.
  6. Cover the peach slices in oil and a tiny sprinkle of salt and put them neatly on to the griddle pan. Let em go, turn them once, let them go and then turn them back after rotating 90 degrees – then you get a lattice. If you’re worried about that, just make them go a lovely colour without burning them all over. Put them aside, they’re done. Check the duck and put the grill on.
  7. Get two plates ready and cover them in spinach leaves. Peel your broad beans – if you decide not to, look at yourself in the mirror with disgust. Slice the beans and asparagus.
  8. Duck is probably ready, turn it skin side up and whack it under the grill for 5 minutes – don’t burn it – just go easy – medium high heat.
  9. Give the duck pan a wipe, you don’t want charred remains on your greens and add all of them to the pan, tiny drizzle of oil in first. All we are doing is warming them all through – that’s the green beans, peas, PEELED broad beans and asparagus – sprinkle the pan, from a height with some sea salt flakes, little toss and all that.
  10. In the smaller pan, add a bit of oil to medium high heat and fry the paneer on each side, you’re looking for colour only, which will heat it through – keep turning it.
  11. Plate up time – firstly, slice the duck. Then place the greens on to the spinach leaves, place the duck on top, put the paneer and peach around it and then sprinkle the spring onions over the top.
  12. That’s it – nothing should be over cooked, the greens will be super green and your duck should be perfectly pink.
  13. Thank you India India