Ingredients

• ½ bunch baby heritage beetroots
• cleaned and trimmed
• leaves reserved
• 200ml/7fl oz white wine vinegar
• 75g/2½oz caster sugar
• 1 tsp salt
• ½ tsp black peppercorns
• 75g/2½oz unsalted butter
• 100g/3½oz unsalted butter
• 1 red onion
• finely chopped
• ½ red cabbage
• cored and finely sliced
• 200ml/7fl oz red wine vinegar
• 50g/1¾oz clear honey
• 100g/3½oz demerara sugar
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• salt
• 600g/1lb 5oz raw beetroot
• peeled
• cut into chunks
• 1 onion
• roughly chopped
• ½ garlic clove
• roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• leaves only
• 2 cooking apples (preferably Bramley)
• peeled
• cored and chopped
• 50g/1¾oz butter
• 2-4 tbsp caster sugar
• to taste
• 4 tbsp olive oil
• 4 duck breasts
• trimmed
• curly kale
• wilted and buttered
• jus or gravy

Directions

• For the roasted beetroot
• put the baby beetroot in a large saucepan of boiling water and cook for 15-20 minutes. Drain and leave to cool slightly. Carefully peel the beetroots and cut them in half.
• Heat the white wine vinegar
• sugar
• salt and peppercorns in a pan over a medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Put the reserved beetroot leaves in a bowl and pour over the hot vinegar mixture. Mix together
• coating the leaves. Set aside to pickle for at least an hour
• but preferably 24 hours.
• For the braised red cabbage
• heat a large frying pan and add the butter. Once hot
• add the onion and cook for 2-3 minutes
• then add the cabbage and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in the vinegar
• honey
• sugar and spices and season with salt. Turn down the heat and cook for 30-40 minutes
• or until the cabbage is very tender.
• For the beetroot purée
• place all of the ingredients into a food processor and blend to a purée.
• Transfer the purée to a frying pan set over a low heat. Cook for 30-40 minutes
• stirring occasionally. Season with salt and pepper.
• For the apple purée
• put the cooking apples
• butter and 2-3 tbsp water in a saucepan. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes
• or until the apples have broken down. Stir and season with the sugar and a little salt. Set aside and keep warm.
• For the duck
• preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6.
• Heat an ovenproof frying pan until very hot and add the oil. Add the duck breasts fat-side down and cook for 3-4 minutes
• or until golden-brown. Turn over and cook for a further 1-2 minutes. Transfer to the oven for 8-10 minutes. Remove from the oven and set the duck aside to rest for 5 minutes.
• Meanwhile to finish the roasted beetroot
• melt the butter in a frying pan and add the beetroots. Cook for 2-3 minutes
• or until slightly golden-brown.
• To serve
• dress the plates with the beetroot and apple purée. Place the red cabbage on the plates with the duck breast
• roasted beetroot
• kale
• beetroot leaves and drizzle with jus or gravy.