Warm duck & cherry salad: it could be a new summer classic

Roasted cherries take this warm duck salad to the next level, balancing the gamey savouriness of the meat.

A bit special: warm duck and cherry salad. Picture: Craig Wall

It’s easy to extend the life of summer’s best stone fruit. Even the saddest, droopiest cherries can be revitalised with a roast, and perhaps even boosted with the slightest sprinkle of sugar or drizzle of honey to fake a riper result. Here, the sweetness of cherries balances the gamey savouriness of duck breast; lentils add texture and a satisfying earthiness. You can use canned lentils or cook your own if you have time.

Warm duck & cherry salad

400g fresh cherries, pitted

2-3 French shallots, peeled and sliced into wedges

Pinch of sugar (any kind)

Pinch of salt flakes (plus extra for seasoning)

2 star anise

1 tablespoon sherry vinegar (or balsamic vinegar)

3-4 duck breasts

400g can beluga or brown lentils, rinsed; or 1 cup (210g) puy lentils and a bay leaf (see tips)

2 oranges

Handful of tarragon, leaves picked, stalks reserved

2 tablespoons olive oil, for drizzling

Set oven to 180C (160C fan). Place cherries, shallots, sugar, salt, star anise and vinegar into a medium-sized baking dish; toss together to coat and place straight into the oven as it heats up. If you have any especially woody bits of tarragon, pop these into the dish too.

Score duck breasts on a diagonal, cutting through the skin and most of the fat without exposing the flesh. Rub salt into both sides of the duck. Pop duck breasts into a cold, ovenproof frying pan, skin side down, then place over medium heat and allow the fat to render out for 10 minutes. Press the breasts down, using a smaller heavy pan or kitchen weight, to help more of the skin to make contact and crisp up. Pour off the rendered fat as the duck cooks, reserving in a jar. Crank up the heat for 2 minutes to colour up the skin.

Remove the baking dish of softened cherries and shallots from the oven. Flip the duck so that it’s skin-side-up in your ovenproof pan, and place in the oven for 6-8 minutes (depending on the size of the breasts) to cook through. Meanwhile, use tongs to separate the shallot layers in the baking dish. Tip lentils in with the cherries and shallots and stir everything about to get friendly. Leave in a warm place while the duck roasts.

Zest one of the oranges, then top and tail both so that you have a flat surface and can see where the pith and flesh meet. Slice off the skin as close to the flesh as possible. Cut into the segments at a 45-degree angle to separate from the membrane. Squeeze the orange off-cuts into the zest.

Once the duck breasts are firm to the touch (but still pink inside!), remove from the oven and cover loosely with foil to rest for five minutes. While you wait, add the orange zest and juice, orange segments and tarragon leaves to the cherries and lentils; stir through and transfer to a serving dish.

Slice the rested duck breast along the score lines and arrange over the cherries and lentils. Finish with drizzle of olive oil and a crack of pepper. Serves 4

Top tips

If cooking puy lentils from scratch, rinse 1 cup (210g) under a tap, sifting with your fingers to pick out any sneaky stones. Pop into a pot with 4 cups of cold water and the bay leaf, bring to the boil, then set the timer for 25 minutes and put on the lid. Once the timer goes off, turn the heat off but leave the lid on for another 5 minutes to allow the lentils to relax a little more.

Can’t find tarragon? Thai or holy basil, flat-leaf parsley or dill will work well.

You can make this dish vegetarian by replacing the duck with grilled haloumi.

If you’re not up for segmenting citrus, peel the fruit then slice across the segments to make pinwheel shapes.