Hoisin Duck with Fragrant Basmati Rice

As the rice cooks, prepare the cucumber. Remove the pointy ends and then cut the cucumber lengthways into four strips. Remove the seeds with a spoon and then cut each strip into 1cm sized chunks. Pop the cucumber in a bowl with a ¼ tsp of salt, 1 tsp of sugar(if you have some) and mix well.

Juice the lime into the chopped cucumber and roughly chop the coriander. LH: Mix the cucumber, lime juice and coriander together and leave until later.

Next, prepare the duck breasts by scoring the skin gently in a criss cross pattern. Tip: Scoring the skin will help with melting the duck fat that is underneath the skin.

Season each of your duck breasts with a pinch of salt and a grind of black pepper. Put the duck breasts skin-side down into a frying pan on medium heat. Continue to cook for 5 to 7 mins until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Tip: As the heat of the pan melts the duck fat under the skin, drain the fat into a bowl. Keep the fat in the fridge and use this on your roasties at the weekend.

Turn the duck breasts over, brown the flesh side for 2 mins and pour in 2 tbsp of hoisin sauce. Roll the duck breasts around in the sauce and then transfer them to a baking tray. Don’t wash up the frying pan (with any leftover hoisin sauce) you’ll need it later!

Put the duck breasts in your oven and roast for 7 mins if you like them medium. Cook for 5 mins if you like your duck rare or cook for 15 mins for well done.

When the duck is cooked, take it out of your oven and pop it back into the frying pan you used earlier. Add the remaining hoisin sauce to the pan, coat your duck breasts with the sauce and leave for 5 mins for the meat to relax.

As the duck relaxes, fluff up your rice with a fork. Discard the cinnamon stick. Slice your duck breast widthways into five or six pieces.