It is new year’s eve once again. Well, Chinese New Year’s eve that is. I was planning to cook something traditional the Chinese would have for this celebration but changed my mind and ended up doing something that is not-so-traditional but Asian-inspired just the same. I love ducks and know for a fact that they are nice with fruity and sweet flavours like oranges and cherries. I love though the taste of yellow peaches cooked in honey and five-spice and have imagined how it will go well with duck breast fillets. I was right. This was such an easy meal to make but packed with tasty and savoury flavours. Simple yet delectable. I used Chinese five-spice and honey to cook the peaches in. Five-spice ingredients vary from country to country but it is usually a fragrant ground mixture of cinnamon, star anise, cloves, fennel seeds and Sichuan pepper. Imagine the wonderful aroma while the peaches are cooking and then the duck pan-fried in the same pan. I promise you, this meal tastes as good as it smells and looks. Serve these on a bed of baby spinach salad and you are in for a delightful dining experience.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
- 4 medium yellow peaches, stoned and quartered
- 4 duck breast fillets, skin scored
For the spinach salad:
- 200g baby spinach leaves
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
- In large heated frying pan, cook honey, five-spice and peaches over medium heat, stirring, until peaches are browned lightly, about five-minutes. Remove from pan. Cover to keep warm.
- In the same pan, over medium heat, cook duck breast fillets, skin-side down, until browned and crisp, about 10 minutes. Turn duck and cook for further 8 minutes, or until cooked as desired. Remove from pan. Cover to keep warm.
- To prepare salad, combine vinegar, oil and mustard in large bowl. Add baby spinach leaves and toss gently to combine.
- Slice duck breasts thinly. Serve with salad and peaches.
This recipe serves four mains or six as an entree.
