Flying Duck Sald with Roast Peaches and Raspberry Sour Cream

Its raspberry and peach season and I invented a savoury version of Peach Melba in the form of a salad. You probably think I've pushed this concept too far but it was honestly the fastest selling salad from last weeks menu. Give it a go and let me know what you and your guinea pigs think?

1 large whole duck
2 teaspoon sea salt
Cracked black pepper
50ml olive oil
60 peaches
50g sliced almonds
100g watercress washed

RASPBERRY SOUR CREAM:
300ml double cream
100g raspberries
1 lemon
1 teaspoon maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt

METHOD:
Place duck in deep baking tray and pour over 500ml water then drizzle with half the olive oil, half the salt and a good cracking of pepper. Cover tray with foil and bake in oven set at 200oC for 1 hour 30 minutes. In the mean time make sour cream, juice lemon into a bowl and add raspberries, maple and salt, crush together with your hand to make a pulp. Pour in double cream and gently stir together, cover and place in fridge to set.
Cut peaches in half and remove the stone using a teaspoon, lay halved peaches face up on baking tray and drizzle over remaining olive oil, salt and good cracking of pepper. Place peaches in oven with duck and bake for 20 minutes, once cooked put aside and leave to cool.
Warm a small fry pan over medium heat and add almonds, gently stir over heat till they start to turn golden brown then remove from heat and leave to cool.
After duck has cooked for 1 hour 30 minutes remove foil and bake for a further 30 minute. When duck has finished cooking leave to stand and cool for 30 minutes before shredding the meat from carcass.
You can either construct the salad on one large platter or make individual plates. First lay down some watercress followed by tearing peaches over the leaves, drape duck meat over dish. Lastly using a teaspoon drop little bits of sour cream over salad and garnish with toasted almonds.

Roast Duck Salad with Parmesan Dressing

This is a duck version of Caesar salad, healthy spinach and tomatoes hidden in layers of fatty duck, little piece's of toasted white bread and a sharp rich dressing. Maybe save this one for Tuesday night after your organs have recovered from the weekend activities.

2 large duck breast
150g cherry tomatoes
100g baby spinach washed
200g crusty white bread
50ml extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and cracked pepper to season

DRESSING:
100g grated parmesan
2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon pommery mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
Small hand full flat parsley leaves
150ml vegetable oil
Pinch of sea salt.

METHOD:
Cut the bread into 2cm cubes and lay out on baking tray and season with salt and pepper, drizzle all but 2 tablespoon of olive oil over the bread and place in a 160oC oven to toast. Cook for 15 minutes and mix up a little half way through this will help them to dry out.
Once the croutons are cooked remove from tray and put aside, on the the same baking tray place the duck and drizzle the remaining olive oil over duck and season with salt and pepper then place in oven and turn the heat up to 180oC cook for 15minutes. After the 15 minutes add the tomatoes to the tray shake around so the tomatoes get covered in the juices and roast for another 10 minutes. Once cooked leave to rest and cool.
To make the dressing place the yolks, parmesan, mustard, vinegar, parsley in food processor and blend for 1 minute. Leaving the processor on slowly pour in the vegetable oil the end result should resemble a thick mayonnaise.
Now its time to put the salad together, on a large platter lay out half the spinach leaves followed by half the croutons and tomatoes evenly placed among the leave's. Tear one of the duck breast into smaller piece's and lay evenly over the salad then spoon small blobs of dressing randomly over all the ingredients. Repeat the layer one more time and serve as soon as possible.