Duck Breast with Lentil Salad with Pears, Walnuts and Red Cabbage

Ingredients

• 50 g Raisins
• 600 g red cabbage
• 1 onion
• 20 g clarified butter
• 75 ml dry red wine
• 75 ml red wine vinegar
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 pears
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
• 2 duck breast fillets (pre‑cooked, 350 g each)
• 50 g chopped walnuts
• 300 g lentils (e.g., mung beans)
• 500 ml vegetable broth
• apple cider vinegar
• Salt
• ground pepper

Instructions

1. 1.

   Soak the lentils overnight. Drain and add them to boiling vegetable broth. Cover and simmer gently for about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally until tender. Drain and cool slightly with 3–4 tbsp of cooking liquid, vinegar, salt and pepper. Soak raisins in lukewarm water. Trim the red cabbage, remove the core, cut into thin strips.

2. 2.

   Peel and finely chop the onion; sauté in hot clarified butter until translucent. Add the cabbage, cook briefly, then deglaze with wine and vinegar. Stir in the spices and simmer covered over medium heat for 30 minutes. Wash, quarter, core and slice the pears into narrow slivers.

3. 3.

   Remove the cabbage from the stove, discard the spices, mix in the pears with honey, raisins and lemon juice, and season to taste. Preheat the oven to 220 °C (428 °F) fan‑forced. Pat the duck breasts dry, season with salt and pepper, and sear skin side down in a hot pan without added fat until golden brown. Flip and cook for 1 minute on the other side. Finish in the preheated oven for about 10 minutes to keep them pink.

4. 4.

   Combine the lentils with walnuts under the cabbage and adjust seasoning. Plate the salad. Remove the duck from the oven, let rest briefly, slice, and arrange atop the salad before serving.