
Sticky duck with Chinese pickled radishes
Make the most of this turnip-like vegetable by stir-frying the green leaves and pickling the veg - serve with rich Asian-spiced meat
For the pickled radishes
- 2 bunches radishessliced, leaves reserved (see below)
- 2 tbsp golden caster sugar
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
- 1 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 red chillideseeded and sliced
For the duck
- 1 tsp clear honey
- 1 tbsp low-salt soy sauce
- 1 tbsp rice wine
- 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp five spice powder
- 2 duck breasts
For the radish leaves
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- leaves from 2 bunches radishes
- 2 garlic clovessliced
- 1 tsp low-salt soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Nutrition: per serving
- kcal663
- fat53g
- saturates15g
- carbs20g
- sugars20g
- fibre2g
- protein26g
- salt3.6g
Method
step 1
Put the radishes in a sieve over a bowl. Sprinkle with the caster sugar and 2 tsp salt, and leave for at least 30 mins or up to 1 hr. Make a dressing by mixing the vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and chilli together until the sugar dissolves. Gently press the radishes to release any liquid, then tip them into a bowl and pour over the dressing.
step 2
Heat oven to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. For the duck, mix the honey, soy, rice wine and vinegar in a small bowl. Slash the skin of the duck breasts and season with salt, pepper and the five-spice powder. Heat an ovenproof frying pan and cook the duck, skin-side down, for 5 mins until golden. Flip over, baste with the honey and soy mix, then put the pan in the oven for 15-20 mins, turning the breasts a couple of times to glaze the skin. Leave the duck in the pan to rest.
step 3
For the radish leaves, heat the oil in a small wok, add the leaves and garlic, and stir-fry until the leaves are just wilted. Splash with soy, drizzle with sesame oil and scatter with sesame seeds. Serve the duck breasts whole or sliced – it’s up to you – with the pickled radishes and the stir-fried leaves.