Tender duck breast (with the juiciest, crispiest skin!) is the crown jewel of this magical meal, while at its base is a swirl of buttery pumpkin purée, spiced with sumac. Completed by a cosy spinach and barley salad and the delectable snap of homemade pecan brittle.
Crispy Duck Breast & Spiced Barley
Crispy Duck Breast & Spiced Barley
with pumpkin purée, wilted spinach & a honey and pecan brittle
Hands on Time: 35 - 50 minutes
Overall Time: 45 - 60 minutes
Ingredients:
- Free-range Duck Breast
- Free-range Duck Breasts
- Fresh Parsley
- Honey
- Pearled Barley
- Pecan Nuts
- Pumpkin Chunks
- Spinach
- Sumac Spice
- Vegetable Stock
From your kitchen:
- Oil (cooking, olive or coconut)
- Salt & Pepper
- Water
- Blender
- Paper Towel
- Butter
PUMPIN’ PUMPKIN
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the kettle. Place the pumpkin pieces on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Roast in the hot oven for 30-35 minutes. At the halfway mark, give it a shift and sprinkle over ½ of the sumac. Return to the oven for the remaining time until cooked and crisp.
BOUNCY BARLEY
Place the duck skin-side down on paper towel and set aside. Dilute the stock with 400ml of boiling water. Set aside 25ml for step 5 and pour the rest into a pot. Stir in the rinsed barley and place over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally and adding water if it starts to dry out. On completion, drain if necessary and return to the pot.
PECAN BRITTLE
Thoroughly grease a flat tray or dish. Place the chopped pecans in a pan over a medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes until golden, shifting occasionally. Set aside on completion and return the pan to the heat. Add in the honey and combine with 1 tsp of water. Bubble for 2 minutes until foamy and darker in colour, swirling the pan occasionally. Don’t let it over-boil, or it’ll burn! Stir in 1 tsp of butter, bubble for 1 minute, then mix in the pecans until coated. Evenly pour onto the greased tray, sprinkle with salt, and set aside to cool.
GET FRYING
Place a nonstick pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, sauté the shredded spinach for 3-4 minutes until wilted. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and set aside. Using a sharp knife, cut broad, cross-hatch slits into the duck skin, without piercing the flesh. Wipe down the spinach pan and return it to a low heat without oil. Fry the duck skin-side down for 5-7 minutes until very crispy. Increase the heat, flip, and fry for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
WRAP IT UP
Add the cooked barley and ¾ of the chopped parsley to the spinach. Toss through the remaining sumac to taste and season. When the pumpkin is cooked, place in a blender. Add in 1 tsp of butter and the reserved stock. Blend until smooth and season to taste. Roughly chop the pecan brittle.
PLATE IT UP
Dollop the pumpkin purée into a bowl. Cover in barley salad and top with the duck breast slices. Garnish with the pecan brittle and the remaining parsley. Wow!
Pumpkin Chunks - 250g
Sumac Spice - 5ml
Free-range Duck Breast - 1
Vegetable Stock - 5ml
Pearled Barley - 100ml
Pecan Nuts - 20g
Honey - 30ml
Spinach - 75g
Fresh Parsley - 3g
PUMPIN’ PUMPKIN
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the kettle. Place the pumpkin pieces on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Roast in the hot oven for 30-35 minutes. At the halfway mark, give it a shift and sprinkle over ½ of the sumac. Return to the oven for the remaining time until cooked and crisp.
BOUNCY BARLEY
Place the duck skin-side down on paper towel and set aside. Dilute the stock with 750ml of boiling water. Set aside 50ml for step 5 and pour the rest into a pot. Stir in the rinsed barley and place over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally and adding water if it starts to dry out. On completion, drain if necessary and return to the pot.
PECAN BRITTLE
Thoroughly grease a flat tray or dish. Place the chopped pecans in a pan over a medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes until golden, shifting occasionally. Set aside on completion and return the pan to the heat. Add in the honey and combine with 1 tbsp of water. Bubble for 2 minutes until foamy and darker in colour, swirling the pan occasionally. Don’t let it over-boil, or it’ll burn! Stir in 1 tsp of butter, bubble for 1 minute, then mix in the pecans until coated. Evenly pour onto the greased tray, sprinkle with salt, and set aside to cool.
GET FRYING
Place a nonstick pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, sauté the shredded spinach for 4-5 minutes until wilted. Transfer to a salad bowl, cover, and set aside. Using a sharp knife, cut broad, cross-hatch slits into the duck skin, without piercing the flesh. Wipe down the spinach pan and return it to a low heat without oil. Fry the duck skin-side down for 5-7 minutes until very crispy. Increase the heat, flip, and fry for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
WRAP IT UP
Add the cooked barley and ¾ of the chopped parsley to the spinach. Toss through the remaining sumac to taste and season. When the pumpkin is cooked, place in a blender. Add in 2 tsp of butter and the reserved stock. Blend until smooth and season to taste. Roughly chop the pecan brittle.
PLATE IT UP
Dollop the pumpkin purée into some bowls. Cover in barley salad and top with the duck breast slices. Garnish with the pecan brittle and the remaining parsley. Wow!
Pumpkin Chunks - 500g
Sumac Spice - 10ml
Free-range Duck Breasts - 2
Vegetable Stock - 10ml
Pearled Barley - 200ml
Pecan Nuts - 40g
Honey - 60ml
Spinach - 150g
Fresh Parsley - 5g
PUMPIN’ PUMPKIN
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the kettle. Place the pumpkin pieces on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Roast in the hot oven for 30-35 minutes. At the halfway mark, give it a shift and sprinkle over ½ of the sumac. Return to the oven for the remaining time until cooked and crisp.
BOUNCY BARLEY
Place the duck skin-side down on paper towel and set aside. Dilute the stock with 750ml of boiling water. Set aside 50ml for step 5 and pour the rest into a pot. Stir in the rinsed barley and place over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally and adding water if it starts to dry out. On completion, drain if necessary and return to the pot.
PECAN BRITTLE
Thoroughly grease a flat tray or dish. Place the chopped pecans in a pan over a medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes until golden, shifting occasionally. Set aside on completion and return the pan to the heat. Add in the honey and combine with 1 tbsp of water. Bubble for 2 minutes until foamy and darker in colour, swirling the pan occasionally. Don’t let it over-boil, or it’ll burn! Stir in 1 tsp of butter, bubble for 1 minute, then mix in the pecans until coated. Evenly pour onto the greased tray, sprinkle with salt, and set aside to cool.
GET FRYING
Place a nonstick pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, sauté the shredded spinach for 4-5 minutes until wilted. Transfer to a salad bowl, cover, and set aside. Using a sharp knife, cut broad, cross-hatch slits into the duck skin, without piercing the flesh. Wipe down the spinach pan and return it to a low heat without oil. Fry the duck skin-side down for 5-7 minutes until very crispy. Increase the heat, flip, and fry for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
WRAP IT UP
Add the cooked barley and ¾ of the chopped parsley to the spinach. Toss through the remaining sumac to taste and season. When the pumpkin is cooked, place in a blender. Add in 2 tsp of butter and the reserved stock. Blend until smooth and season to taste. Roughly chop the pecan brittle.
PLATE IT UP
Dollop the pumpkin purée into some bowls. Cover in barley salad and top with the duck breast slices. Garnish with the pecan brittle and the remaining parsley. Wow!
Pumpkin Chunks - 500g
Sumac Spice - 10ml
Free-range Duck Breasts - 2
Vegetable Stock - 10ml
Pearled Barley - 200ml
Pecan Nuts - 40g
Honey - 60ml
Spinach - 150g
Fresh Parsley - 5g
PUMPIN’ PUMPKIN
Preheat the oven to 200°C. Boil the kettle. Place the pumpkin pieces on a roasting tray, coat in oil, and season. Roast in the hot oven for 35-40 minutes. At the halfway mark, give it a shift and sprinkle over ½ of the sumac. Return to the oven for the remaining time until cooked and crisp.
BOUNCY BARLEY
Place the duck skin-side down on paper towel and set aside. Dilute the stock with 1,5L of boiling water. Set aside 100ml for step 5 and pour the rest into a pot. Stir in the rinsed barley and place over a high heat. Once boiling, reduce the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes until tender, stirring occasionally and adding water if it starts to dry out. On completion, drain if necessary and return to the pot.
PECAN BRITTLE
Thoroughly grease a flat tray or dish. Place the chopped pecans in a pan over a medium heat. Toast for 3-5 minutes until golden, shifting occasionally. Set aside on completion and return the pan to the heat. Add in the honey and combine with 2 tbsp of water. Bubble for 2 minutes until foamy and darker in colour, swirling the pan occasionally. Don’t let it over-boil, or it’ll burn! Stir in 1 tbsp of butter, bubble for 1 minute, then mix in the pecans until coated. Evenly pour onto the greased tray, sprinkle with salt, and set aside to cool.
GET FRYING
Place a large, nonstick pan over a medium-high heat with a drizzle of oil. When hot, sauté the shredded spinach for 5-6 minutes until wilted. Transfer to a large bowl, cover, and set aside. Using a sharp knife, cut broad, cross-hatch slits into the duck skin, without piercing the flesh. Wipe down the spinach pan and return it to a low heat without oil. Fry the duck skin-side down for 5-7 minutes until very crispy. Increase the heat, flip, and fry for 4-5 minutes until cooked through. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 3 minutes before slicing.
WRAP IT UP
Add the cooked barley and ¾ of the chopped parsley to the spinach. Toss through the remaining sumac to taste and season. When the pumpkin is cooked, place in a blender. Add in 2 tbsp of butter and the reserved stock. Blend until smooth and season to taste. Roughly chop the pecan brittle.
PLATE IT UP
Dollop the pumpkin purée into some bowls. Cover in barley salad and top with the duck breast slices. Garnish with the pecan brittle and the remaining parsley. Wow!
Pumpkin Chunks - 1kg
Sumac Spice - 20ml
Free-range Duck Breasts - 4
Vegetable Stock - 20ml
Pearled Barley - 400ml
Pecan Nuts - 80g
Honey - 120ml
Spinach - 300g
Fresh Parsley - 10g
Woolies Products in this dish
