Duck Breast with Sauce Aigre Douce and Warm Haricot Bean Salad

Preheat oven to 180c.

Remove duck from the fridge 40 minutes before cooking. Score the duck skin. Season well with salt and pepper. Add duck breasts to a cold pan, skin-side down. Start the cooking process on a low heat and gradually bring the heat up. Your aim is to render the fat and form a crispy golden skin; this should take 6-8 mins. Turn and cook the other side for 1 minute. Transfer to the oven and cook for a further 6–8 mins (depending on the size of your duck breasts). Transfer to a plate and rest in a warm spot for a further 3–4 mins.

For the sauce, sprinkle sugar into the pan that you cooked the duck in. Cook over medium heat until it melts and forms a caramel. Add red wine vinegar. Stir to combine. Add veal glaze and reduce slightly. Add orange zest, quatre epice and juice and reduce again until thick and glossy. Whisk in butter. Now slice the rested duck thickly.

For the bean salad: mix through fresh parsley, thyme and finely chopped garlic and the olive oil.

Serve slices of duck breast over the bean salad with a spoonful of the sauce.