DUCK BREASTS WITH ARABIC-STYLE WALNUT SAUCE

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DUCK BREASTS WITH ARABIC-STYLE WALNUT SAUCE

For passionate foodie Junelle Germishuizen of Pretoria, cooking with her family and entertaining friends at home is a natural extension of her online food business

INGREDIENTS

  • salt and freshly milled
  • black pepper
  • 15ml olive oil
  • 15ml honey
  • 3 cardamom pods, lightly crushed to release seeds
  • 2ml freshly milled black pepper

FOR THE WALNUT SAUCE:

  • 200g walnuts
  • 45ml olive oil
  • 1 red onion, peeled and diced
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • 5ml ground cinnamon
  • 2ml ground cumin
  • 1ml ground turmeric
  • 15ml tomato paste
  • 375ml chicken or vegetable stock
  • 250ml pomegranate juice or red grape juice
  • 50g sugar
  • 15ml pomegranate molasses*
  • 2 bay leaves
  • salt and freshly milled
  • black pepper
  • 15ml lemon juice

METHOD

To make the Arabic-style walnut sauce: preheat the oven to 200°C. Place the walnuts, in a single layer on a baking sheet and roast for 5–7 minutes. Allow to cool and roughly chop.
Heat the oil in a pan and gently fry the onion and garlic over a low heat for 5 minutes. Add the cinnamon, cumin and turmeric and cook for 1 minute.
Stir in the reserved walnuts, tomato paste, stock, fruit juice, sugar, pomegranate molasses, bay leaves and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 40–50 minutes. Set aside until ready to use. Just before serving, reheat and stir in the lemon juice.

To prepare the duck breasts: use a sharp knife to score the skin in a criss-cross pattern; season with salt and pepper.
Heat the olive oil in a pan and sear the duck breasts, skin-side down, for 1 minute. Reduce the heat to low and cook, skin-side down, for 5 minutes until the skin is golden brown. Turn the breasts over and cook for 5–8 minutes on the other side.
Meanwhile, heat the honey, cardamom pods and black pepper in a small pan. Brush the honey mixture over the skin of the duck breasts and cook over a moderate heat skin side down and for another 4–5 minutes.
Keep the breasts warm; allow them to rest for 10 minutes. Slice them into chunks and serve with the walnut sauce and the saffron and rice polow.
*COOK’S TIP: Pomegranate molasses is a concentrated syrup, frequently used in Middle-Eastern cooking and is available at large supermarkets or online. Use an equal mixture of honey and balsamic vinegar as a substitute.

This recipe serves 6 people