Maple Glazed Duck Breast with Kale and Roasted Beets - Chef Recipe by Georgi Partenov

Ingredients

Beets:

3 medium sized beets, leaves trimmed (red or gold)
3 Tbs 3drops extra virgin olive oil
1/2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbs red wine vinegar
1 cup water
Salt
Black pepper

Kale:

1 1/2 lbs kale leaves, coarsely chopped
2 Tbs 3drops olive oil
Crushed red pepper flakes to taste (optional)
2 garlic cloves, finely sliced
1/2 cup vegetable stock, or 1/2 cup water
Salt and pepper

Duck Breast:

4 duck breasts, skin on
1/4 cup maple syrup
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
Pinch salt and pepper

Method

Beets:

Pre-heat oven to 220 C.

Coat beets lightly with oil. Add thyme, vinegar and water.

Place beets in a deep baking tray, cover with aluminium foil and roast in the oven until cooked through – approximately 45-60 minutes.

Remove from the oven, let cool for 10 minutes. Peel and slice in 1/4 inch thick slices, season with salt and pepper.

Kale:

Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium to high heat. Add crushed red pepper flakes and let them sizzle in the oil.

Add garlic and cook until soft. Raise heat to high, add the stock and kale and toss to combine.

Cover and cook for five minutes. Remove cover and continue to cook, stirring until almost all the liquid has evaporated.

Duck Breast:

Using a sharp knife, trim off any extra skin – it should just cover the meat but not overhang the breast. Slice a few slits into the skin, being careful not to cut the meat.

Season the duck with salt and pepper. Place skin side down in a dry, cold large skillet.

Place the skillet over a medium to high heat and cook for about five minutes. Starting the breasts in a cold pan will help render the fat out of the skin.

After five minutes, the skin should be starting to brown and the fat should be rendering out nicely. If it isn’t browning, turn up the heat a bit.

Once browned, flip the breasts so they sear on the bottom side. Cook for about two minutes, then flip back to the skin side.

Add the breasts to a 200 C oven and bake for four minutes, skin side down. If your pan is oven-safe, you can move it right into the oven, otherwise transfer duck breasts to an appropriate dish.

Remove from oven and baste with maple glaze (skin side up), bake again for four minutes. Glaze again and let breasts rest for five minutes.

Slice duck thickly (each breast should be 4-5 slices) and serve immediately, with kale and beets.

Recipe provided by Samson's Paddock