The Succulent Duck

What I love about preparing food is the last minute decision, and cooking with what is available in the cupboards... Even better when I can produce fantastic food on the cheap at the last minute...
It's all about challenge and optimisation really...

The other day I was in a local Sainsbury's after work, looking for ideas . To my great surprise, I found amazing bargains. So I chose 3 items to make my meal:
- a packet of fresh salad at 15 pence,
- an avocado nicely ripe at 59p and grab a seat,
- a fabulous looking duck breast at a maddening 89p - reduced at the till-,
all that because the sale by date was on that day (not the eat by date..).

I'm not even going to add up to the total cost, it's too ridiculous.

So I decided on a simple salad with french dressing:
- 1 tblsp balsamic vinegar,
- 1 tblsp Italian Olive oil,
- 1 tblsp water
- 1 pinch of salt flakes
- 1 turn of grinder of black peppercorn

With the sliced avocado sprinkled with salt flakes and topped with one of my home-dried bird eye chili for the photo.

Now the duck.
I slashed the skin side at several places so that during the cooking, the fat can escape and the skin go all crispy, and the heat penetrate the meat better.
Then I massaged the duck with some honey and some soy sauce (coeliacs use glutenfree alternative).
I then Proceeded to cook the duck in a hot pan in a bit of oil on the skin side. I seared the other side, but mainly it has too cook on the skin side.
It takes approx 15 min dependent on the thickness - the breast shrinks and increases thickness as it cooks.
It should be beautifully crispy and caramelised outside and pink and juicy in the middle.

That day, it was absolutely perfect and it tasted fabulous. the breast usually costs £2.99, and I'd say it is well worth it at that price, it is of superb quality.
I'd have to pay A LOT MORE to get that in a restaurant.... So this time, I met the challenge with great success. Ahh that feels so good!

Source: my own pea-brain