Duck a la Plancha

First make an orange sauce. Make a duck stock  Recipe   missing out the tomato puree. You will need to reduce this down to to about 300ml/½ pint. Grate an orange and add to the stock, then squeeze the juice of the orange into the stock to taste. Make a beurre manié with a tablespoonful each of flour and butter, and stir bit by bit into bubbling stock until it is just thick enough for a sauce. Put to one side.

Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and discard, and cut off the rind. Then cut the squash into small cubes about ½ inch cubed. Put the chopped squash into a bowl, add a teaspoonful of cumin, a tablespoonful or two of oil some salt and black pepper. Stir well. Paint the duck breasts with olive oil and season well with salt and black pepper.

Start up the plancha on a lowish light pour on the squash and spread out. Cook for about ten minutes or until cooked turning from time to time  Picture  . Meanwhile cook the peas in a little water and a knob of butter.

After about five mnutes from the start of the squash cooking, put the duck breasts on the plancha skin side down until nicely brown  Picture  . Turn and cook for a three or four minutes and check the interior of the breast with a sharp knife. I like the duck to be pink but not rare and to be cut into thick slices say ¼ inch. Meanwhile put the squash into a serving dish, stir in the peas and keep warm  Picture   and reheat the orange sauce.

When ready, spoon the squash and peas on to warm serving plates, lay the duck slices on top and spoon over a little of the orange sauce  Zoom  . Serve immediately.