I love duck. Crispy, salty skin and sweet pink flesh. Unfortunately it’s not easy to get good duck in restaurants in the UK. Too often you get flabby skin, un-rendered fat and over-cooked meat. It’s one meat that the French can justifiably take pride in and as I have 4 step-kids in south west France I thought it would be a good subject for my first blog!

The first thing you have to get right is your duck meat. Having had numerous disappointing duck breasts from British supermarkets (too small, too fatty) I now buy  my duck from the marvellous French online supermarket Frenchclick. Their magret de canard comes in a range of sizes from 250g up to 400g and is really reasonably priced.

For preparation I have also turned to the French and take inspiration from Jeanne Strang’s Goose Fat and Garlic. She recommends slashing the skin, seasoning with plenty of good salt and rendering the fat, skin side down, on a low heat for around 10 minutes – this way you get a beautiful golden crispy skin and the fat melts away – but you don’t cook the flesh. Then you just remove the meat, turn the heat up to high and then cook the duck flesh side down until it’s done how you like it – I like it pink but not too bloody which takes 3-4 minutes maximum. I cook it until the centre is around 55c measured with a meat probe. If you like it more well cooked 60c should still give you blushing pink flesh (but don’t tell the French). Rest it for around 10 minutes before slicing and serving.

I like sweet rich duck with bright, sharp accompaniments.

Tonight’s supper sees the duck served with a beautiful Turkish spoon salad – tomatoes, cucumber, red onion, radishes all chopped up and combined with pomegranate seeds, chopped parsley and mint, and tossed in a dressing made from pomegranate molasses, olive oil, salt and pepper. The final flourish is a sprinkling of sharp, zesty sumac.

I’ve also made a beetroot dip that is perfect with the duck and hot pitta bread. There are few versions that I love (Ottolenghi’s version from Plenty More is a favourite and Nadia Sawalha’s is also lovely) but tonight I’ve gone for one based on Ottolenghi’s recipe which is made by blending a packet of ready-cooked beetroot (drain the juice off first) with a clove of crushed garlic, half a small tub of Greek yoghurt, a chopped red chilli, teaspoon of zaatar, tablespoon of date syrup (or maple syrup or even honey), salt and pepper. The flavour combination is great and this really complements lamb or chicken as well as the duck.

It’s a Sunday so I’m not drinking but if I was I’d open a bottle of pinot noir – Waitrose Cellar has a great burgundy Domaine Maillard Pere et Fils for £16.99 – a great bargain.