Ingredients

• 1 piel de sapo melon
• peeled
• seeds removed and cut into slices
• olive oil
• for frying
• 1 duck carcass
• cut into pieces
• 1 carrot
• cut into chunks
• 2 sticks celery
• cut into chunks
• 1 onion
• peeled and cut into chunks
• 500ml/1lb 2oz good-quality beef stock
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 4 cloves
• ½ tsp cumin seeds
• 2 duck breasts
• trimmed and skin scored
• 50g/1¾oz unsalted butter
• 110g/3¾oz curly kale
• stalks discarded
• chopped
• 10g/â…“oz fresh mint
• 100ml/3½fl oz olive oil

Directions

• For the melon foie gras
• place the melon in a vacuum pack plastic bag and seal. Leave in the fridge for 48 hours.
• For the duck jus
• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Put the carcass and vegetables in a large roasting tray and roast in the oven for 40-50 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and add the stock. Cook on the hob for an hour over a low heat. Strain the mixture and pour the jus back into the roasting tray. Cook over a medium-high heat until the volume of liquid has reduced to a sauce consistency.
• For the spiced duck breast and curly kale
• preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
• Dry fry all the spices in a frying pan for 1-2 minutes until the spices start to release their oils. Remove from the pan and place in a spice grinder or pestle and mortar and grind to a powder.
• Sprinkle the duck all over with the spice mix.
• Heat a large frying pan and add the duck skin-side down. Cook slowly until the fat has rendered out.
• Place the duck in the oven for 8-12 minutes
• depending on the size of the duck breast. Remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before serving.
• For the melon foie gras
• remove the melon from the vacuum pack bag and fry in a little oil until golden-brown.
• In the meantime
• heat a large pan and add the butter. Once hot
• add the kale and a little water and cook for 1-2 minutes until wilted.
• For the mint oil
• blend the mint and oil in a blender and until smooth
• then pass through a sieve.
• To serve
• slice the duck breasts and place on a serving plate along with the kale and melon. Pour the duck jus around the plate along with a drizzle of mint oil.