Duck breast with lentils and rhubarb sauce
6 servings
60 minutes
Duck breast with lentils and rhubarb sauce is an exquisite dish of Greek cuisine, combining rich flavors and textures. Tender duck meat with a crispy crust harmonizes beautifully with the rich, slightly nutty lentils infused with red wine vinegar and bay leaf aromas. The rhubarb sauce, made from orange juice and spices, adds a subtle tartness and fruity freshness, creating a perfect balance of flavors. This dish is not only exquisite in taste but also nutritious, ideal for special occasions and cozy dinners.
1
Clean and finely chop the carrot, red onion, and celery.
- Carrot: 2 pieces
- Red onion: 2 heads
- Celery stalk: 4 pieces
2
Place the vegetables, olive oil, and bay leaf in a deep saucepan.
- Olive oil: 2 tablespoons
- Bay leaf: 2 pieces
3
Pour in enough water to just cover the vegetables and cook for about 10 minutes until the vegetables are tender.
4
Add the lentils and pour in 1000 ml of water, reduce the heat and bring to a boil.
- French green lentils (lentilles vertes): 200 g
- Rhubarb: 4 stems
5
Cook covered for 30 minutes, checking occasionally to prevent the liquid from evaporating. Drain the water, keeping some broth.
6
Return the lentils to the saucepan, add a few spoonfuls of broth and red wine vinegar, season with salt and pepper. Cover with foil and keep warm.
- Red wine vinegar: 2 tablespoons
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
7
Preheat the oven to 180 degrees.
8
Bring the duck breast to room temperature and dry it with a paper towel.
- Duck breast: 4 pieces
9
Make several diagonal cuts on the skin 1.5 cm apart. Season with salt and pepper.
- Salt: to taste
- Ground black pepper: to taste
10
Sear the chicken breasts skin-side down for about 2 minutes over medium heat.
11
Then drain the excess fat and fry until golden brown on the other side for about 2 minutes.
12
Then transfer to a fireproof dish and bake depending on the size of the breast and desired doneness (see note). After 5 minutes, brush the breasts with floral honey using a culinary brush.
- Wildflower honey: 2 tablespoons
13
For rhubarb sauce. Cut two strips of orange zest with a peeler. Squeeze the juice from the orange using any available method.
- Oranges: 1 piece
14
Place sugar in a small saucepan, add enough water to dissolve the sugar. Put the saucepan on low heat and heat until the sugar is completely dissolved.
- Brown sugar: 30 g
15
Add a cinnamon stick and a star anise to the syrup, bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for about 5 minutes until the volume is reduced by half.
- Cinnamon sticks: 1 piece
- Star anise: 1 piece
16
When the syrup turns golden, pour in the orange juice and add chopped rhubarb and ground cumin. To grind cumin, first roast it in a dry pan until fragrant, then crush it in a mortar.
- Oranges: 1 piece
- Rhubarb: 4 stems
- Cumin: 1 tablespoon
17
Boil for 2-3 minutes until the rhubarb softens.
18
Remove from heat, take out the cinnamon and star anise, and carefully blend until almost smooth, but with some texture remaining.
19
Place the duck on lentils and drizzle with rhubarb sauce.
