Duck breast sauté with fine beans and pilaf

Method

1. For the duck: pre-heat the oven to 220C/gas 7, and heat a frying pan until hot.

2. Crush the coriander seeds in a mortar or grind in a spice grinder. Add the ginger and mace and mix well.

3. Season the duck breasts with a little salt and lay them in the hot pan skin-side down. Cook on a moderate heat for 5 minutes, rendering out excess fat and crisping up the skin.

4. Tip off the fat and turn the duck over, then increase the heat and seal the flesh. Reduce the heat and sprinkle generous amounts of the spice mix over the skin. Now spoon over the honey. As soon as it starts to bubble in the pan, baste the duck with the honey and transfer to the oven for 5 minutes. Reserve the remaining spiced honey.

5. For the beans: bring a large pan of salted water to the boil and add the beans. Cook rapidly for 5 minutes. Drain the beans, return to a clean pan and add a knob of butter. Season with freshly ground black pepper, and toss to mix.

6. For the pilaf: pre-heat the oven to 180C. In a large pan melt the butter and add the onion. Soften the onion for a couple of minutes and then add the rice, mixing well to coat in butter.

7. Add spices, bay leaves and citrus zest and mix well. Pour in the chicken stock and bring to the boil. Once boiled, cover with buttered greaseproof paper and tin foil. Transfer to the oven for 18 minutes. Fluff the rice lightly with a fork before serving.

8. Slice the duck thinly across the grain and arrange beside the beans with a trickle of spiced honey around the plate. Serve with the pilaf.