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Duck with soba noodles in a plum sauce

From Great Food Bites
For a stylish main course, try making Camilla Schneiderman's sweet, tangy duck, served with a light soba noodle salad

Duck with soba noodles in a plum sauce

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 110C/gas ¼. Lay the duck breasts fat side up on a chopping board. Using a sharp knife, carefully score the fat in a lattice pattern, taking care not to cut through the flesh. This will help to render the fat and speed the cooking time.

2. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper on both sides. Place, fat side down in a heavy based frying pan or grill pan, over a medium heat.

3. Fry the breasts until crisp and golden brown and most of the fat has melted - about 10 minutes. Carefully pour off the fat (keep it for making roast potatoes), then turn the breasts over and fry gently for a further 5-10 minutes, until the flesh, when pressed starts to spring back.

4. Remove the duck breasts to a baking sheet and place in a pre-heated oven to rest and keep warm. It is important that the oven is not too hot as the duck will over-cook and become tough.

5. For the sauce, pour any remaining fat off the pan without scraping away the sediment. Return the pan to a medium heat and pour in the wine. Let it boil for about 20 seconds to remove any raw alcohol flavour, scraping the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.

6. Add the plum jam and the teriyaki marinade, stirring well to dissolve the jam. Bring back to the boil, before removing from the heat and tasting for seasoning. The flavour should be rich with a balance of sweet and salty flavours without any hint of alcohol. If there is still a trace of alcohol, simply boil the sauce for a few more seconds.

7. Remove the duck breasts to a chopping board and slice each into 5 or 6 slices - they should be pink in the centre, but not raw inside.

8. For the soba noodles, bring a saucepan of salted water to the boil and cook the noodles until tender (see the packet for exact timings). One minute before the end of the cooking time, add the mange tout, then drain the noodles and mange tout together, rinsing with a little with cold water to stop them cooking. Transfer to a bowl, and stir through with sesame oil.

9. Slice the spring onions and roughly chop the coriander. When you are ready to serve the salad, mix the spring onions and coriander into the salad, and season to taste with sea salt. Serve the duck breast piled on top of the soba noodle salad and pour over the sauce.