Recipe Sections
4 as a main
What is star anise ?
Star anise is a spice that closely resembles anise in flavor obtained from a small native evergreen tree of southwest China. The star shaped fruits are harvested just before ripening. It is widely used in Chinese cuisine.
A wonderfully easy salad with lots of flavours coming together, great for a main course on those hot days.
4 Luv-a-Duck duck breasts
2 bunches baby beetroot, stalks trimmed
2 tsp olive oil
1 orange, rind and juice
1 tsp ground star anise
100ml red wine
60ml red wine vinegar
30g raw sugar
320g pitted cherries
80ml extra virgin olive oil
1 cup watercress
1 cup radicchio lettuce
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Preheat oven to 180C. Place beetroot in a oven tray and drizzle with olive oil, roast for 15 minutes or until cooked.
Remove skins and cut lengthways.
Combine beetroot with orange juice and rind and season to taste.
Combine star anise, 1 tsp of sea salt and freshly ground black pepper in a small bowl and rub into the skin of the duck breast, place into a bowl, cover and allow to stand for 30 minutes.
Heat up a non stick frying pan over medium heat and seal the duck breast skin side down for 5-8 minutes and again on the other side, remove from the pan and allow to rest in a warm place skin side up.
Slice the breasts thickly and place into a large mixing bowl
Drain off any excess fat in the frying pan and add wine, red wine vinegar and sugar, stir until sugar has dissolves, add cherries and cook for 5 minutes, remove cherries and allow the liquid to reduce by half and then add olive oil.
Place beetroot, cherries, watercress and radicchio in the bowl with the duck, add a little dressing and toss to combine, divide among serving plates and drizzle with remaining dressing and serve.