Duck with Orange-Ouzo Sauce

• 2 whole Duck breasts

• Salt

• 1 tablespoon flour

• 1/2 cup ouzo (or other anise-flavored liqueur

• 1/2 to 1 cup chicken broth

• Juice of one orange

• Zest of one orange

• Small bunch of fennel fronds for garnish

• Fresh-ground black pepper

1. Score the skin side of the Duck breasts in a crosshatch pattern with your sharpest knife and do not cut down to the meat.

2. Place the breasts skin side down and cook over medium heat. You should hear a gentle sizzle.

3. Keep an eye on the fat layer of the breasts. Fat should render out very quickly and moisten the pan. Cooking this side slowly renders out more fat and keeps the skin from burning. When the skin is a lovely brown, flip the breasts, turn the heat up to medium-high and sear the cut side. Cook for 3-5 minutes, or until the meat is rare to medium. Remove and cover with foil to rest.

4. Add flour to the pan and stir to make a roux. Cook this flour-fat combination over medium heat until it’s golden, about 5 minutes. Take the pan off the heat and add ouzo. The liquid will spatter, and the sauce will thicken a lot. If it begins to solidify, add the stock and stir.

5. Cook this down by half over high heat, stirring always to scrape off the bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add the orange juice and a little salt, then cook down until a spoon passed through the sauce leaves a trail. Think gravy consistency.

6. Slice Duck breast & any juice that drained from the goose while you were making the sauce should go back into the sauce. Stir to combine.

7. To serve, pour a little sauce on the plate and arrange goose slices skin side up on them. Garnish with orange zest and some fennel fronds; and anoint with ground pepper. Serve at once.

Jewelled Couscous with Harissa & honey Glazed Quail

INGREDIENTS




Couscous

400g couscous



Boiling water

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons toasted & chopped almonds

6 dried apricots, chopped

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

2 tablespoons coriander, chopped

4 small shaved radishes

2 tablespoons mint, chopped

1 small bunch of blanched baby spinach leaves

Seeds of 1 pomegranate

Salt & black pepper to taste





1. Put couscous in a large bowl, pour over enough boiling water to cover by 1cm. Cover with a lid and leave for 5 minutes.



2. Add olive oil and a pinch of salt and using a fork, fluff up the grains to separate.



3. Stir in the remaining ingredients and serve.



Glaze

8 boned out quail

1 tablespoon for frying

3 small cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tblsp finely chopped fresh ginger

1 tsp ground cumin

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tsp harissa paste

1/4 cup (60 ml) honey

2 tsp tomato paste

2 tblsp lemon juice

1 tsp sea salt





Heat the tablespoon of oil in a large frying pan over low heat. Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Then stir in the cumin, cinnamon, harissa, honey, tomato paste, lemon juice and salt. Cook until the mixture starts to boil, then turn off the heat.

Brush both sides of the quail with glaze and sear in a griddle pan skin side down, when skin is crispy, turn over quail and keep brushing with glaze until cooked with meat still remaining pink.



After quail is cooked, slice down the centre and place on a healthy helping of the couscous and finish with some cumin yogurt & a sprinkle of sumac.