Five-Spice Duck with Wild Rice, Kale & Ginger

by Rukmini Iyer from The Roasting Tin: Simple One Dish Dinners (Square Peg)  Photography: David Loftus

This incredibly satisfying duck and wild rice dish, with its contrast of complementary textures and flavours, is easily scaled up if you’re cooking for more than two. Probably one of my favourite recipes in the book.

Serves 2

Prep 10 mins

Cook 50 mins

Ingredients

200g mixed basmati and wild rice

350ml of water

5cm ginger, grated

2 whole cloves of garlic, whole

2 teaspoons sea salt

1 star anise

100g of kale, chopped

1 tablespoon sesame oil

2 duck breasts (approx. 340g)

2 teaspoons of Chinese five-spice

½ red chilli, finely sliced (or a whole one deseeded)

2 spring onions, finely sliced

Method

1.   Pre-heat your oven to 160C fan/180C/Gas 4.  Mix the rice, water, ginger, garlic and 1 teaspoon of sea salt in a roasting tin, and throw in the star anise.

2.   Mix the kale with the sesame oil, then scatter it over the rice.

3.   Slash the skin on the duck breasts with a sharp knife, then rub them all over with the remaining sea salt and the five-spice. Place on top of the kale, cover the roasting tin tightly with foil, then transfer to the oven and roast for 40 minutes.

4.   Remove the foil and cook uncovered for a further 10 minutes, to allow the kale to crisp up. Allow the duck to rest for 5 minutes out of the oven, then thinly slice and return it to the roasting tin. Scatter over the red chilli and spring onions, and serve hot.

 Drinks tasted on air, alongside the dish.