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Duck and freekeh salad

By Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor Aug 21, 2017

This delicious duck and freekeh salad is the perfect light lunch or dinner recipe to enjoy. 

Pan fried duck breast and pickled cherries pair together beautifully, while freekeh is a healthy and filling grain that’s a perfect alternative to rice.

 

Serves: 2

You’ll need

For the pickled cherries

  • 150g red wine vinegar
  • 150ml water
  • 60g caster sugar
  • Bay leaf
  • Star anise
  • Tsp coriander seeds
  • 3 black peppercorns
  • strip of orange zest
  • Tsp salt
  • Sprig of thyme
  • 250g cherries, halved and pitted
  • 200g freekeh
  • 200g runner beans, topped and tailed and sliced into three on the diagonal
  • 2 duck breasts
  • Pinch of five spice powder
  • Salt and pepper
  • 2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
  • 2 tbsp parsley leaves, chopped
  • 100g feta, crumbled
  • tbsp toasted hazelnuts, roughly chopped

For the dressing

  • 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
  • 2 tsp dijon mustard
  • tsp red chilli flakes
  • large pinch of sea salt

Method

  1. First make the pickled cherries. Combine the red wine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, bay, thyme, orange zest and spices in a non-reactive pan and bring to a gentle boil. Once the sugar has dissolved, turn down to a simmer and add the cherries, cooking for 3-4 minutes. Remove from the heat and pour into a sterilised jar to cool.
  2. Preheat the oven to 180.
  3. To cook the freekeh, first wash it in a large bowl of cold water, rubbing it between your fingers to rid the impurities. Rinse in a sieve under more cold water and then cook in boiling salted water for 15 minutes, until tender. Drain, rinse under cold water and set aside.
  4. To make the dressing, place 3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil in a bowl with the dijon mustard, chilli and salt. Add in a tablespoon of the cherry pickling liquor and whisk until silky smooth and emulsified.
  5. To cook the duck breasts, score the fat on the breasts in a cross hatch pattern using a sharp knife. Rub a pinch of five spice powder all over both breasts and then season well with salt and pepper. Heat a non stick, oven proof pan over a medium heat and sear the breasts, fat side down, for about three-five minutes, until golden and crisp and the fat is rendering out. Finish the breasts off in the oven for a further 3-5 minutes. Then remove from the oven and rest.
  6. While the duck is resting, cook the runner beans in plenty of salted boiling water, until bright green and tender – about 5 minutes, drain and rinse under really cold water.
  7. Put the runner beans in a bowl with the chopped shallots and pour over the dressing. Toss to coat and then add in the freekeh, chopped parsley and a tbsp of the drained pickled cherries. Toss together to combine and then divide between plates and crumble over the feta. Top with the sliced duck breasts and chopped hazelnuts.
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Rachel - Silversurfers Assistant Editor

Hello there! I’m Rachel and I’m the Assistant Editor for Silversurfers. I work behind the scenes to bring interesting, informative and entertaining subject matter to the Silversurfers community. I hope you enjoy the features we have shared with you. Please feel free to comment below and share your thoughts with us, we love to hear from you!

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