This honey-glazed recipe is a delicious way to cook duck. We are very lucky in Blacklion with Thornhill duck locally. They have supplied the restaurant for as long as I can remember. And then there is Silverhill based in Monaghan which also produces a delicious tasting duck.

For the glaze I use Mileeven Honey. We love their honey in MacNean and it is very popular at breakfast. With the dark soy sauce and a little bit of orange, this is like sweet and sour. It is an Asian twist on the well-known Duck à l’Orange. This recipe will work well with chicken breasts, pork chops or even a steak. Here I am serving it with sticky rice but you could use regular steamed rice or mashed potato. Noodles also work well. There are Irish producers who grow pak choi now with the Bord Bia Quality Mark. This oriental green is a bit like spinach with a bit of crunch. You could serve with green beans, or mange tout, or sugar snap peas.

Chicken thighs are full of flavour and good value. I always use the corn-fed chicken. I like to cook them on the bone which will take a little bit longer. Or you can get your butcher to bone them. You could brush the thighs with a little Chinese five spice and have them on their own with salad.

This is a lovely way to cook lentils. I like to add a spoonful of balsamic vinegar for a lovely acidity. These lentils are lovely with grilled fish. Try them with cod, hake or haddock. Or scallops. You can buy lentils in a can already cooked but I like to cook them from scratch. You get a better texture with a bit of a bite.

Happy cooking,

Neven

Recipes

Honey-glazed duck with sticky rice. \ Photography: Philip Doyle. Food styling: Sharon Hearne-Smith

Honey-glazed duck with sticky rice

Serves two

3 tbsp clear honey

3 tbsp dark soy sauce

juice and finely grated rind 1 small orange

2 tbsp sesame seeds

4 x 175-200g (6-7oz) duck breasts (skin on)

275g (10oz) sushi rice (now available in all large supermarkets)

120ml (4fl oz) chicken stock (made from ½ a cube is fine)

fresh coriander leaves and shredded spring onions, to garnish

steamed pak choi, to serve

  • 1 Preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F, gas mark 6). Place the honey in a shallow non-metallic dish and add the soy sauce, orange juice and rind and sesame seeds, stirring to combine. Add the duck, turning to coat and set aside at room temperature for 15 minutes, turning occasionally.
  • 2 To make the sticky rice, rinse the rice thoroughly under cold running water and place in a pan with 600ml (1 pint) of cold water. Season with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Then stir once. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for 8 minutes until all the water is completely absorbed. Turn off the heat and leave the rice to steam for at least another 4-6 minutes until tender. It should sit happily for up to 20 minutes with the lid on.
  • 3 Heat a large ovenproof frying pan until searing hot. Drain the duck from the marinade. Then add to the heated pan skin-side down and quickly seal, making sure the skin is slightly blackened. Turn over and just seal, then transfer to the oven and roast for 8-10 minutes until just tender but still slightly pink in the middle. If you prefer your duck more well done, give it another 2-3 minutes.
  • 4 Tip the remaining marinade into a small pan with the stock and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer gently for 3-4 minutes until reduced to a sauce consistency, stirring occasionally. Remove the duck from the oven and leave to rest for about 5 minutes in a warm place. Then carve on the diagonal. Spoon the rice onto warm serving plates and arrange the duck on top. Then drizzle around the reduced sauce. Garnish with the coriander leaves and spring onions. Serve the steamed pak choi in a separate warmed serving bowl to serve.
  • Crispy chicken thighs with savoury lentils

    Serves four

    8 chicken thighs

    2 leeks, trimmed and finely diced

    2 carrots, finely diced

    2 celery sticks, trimmed and finely diced

    225g (8oz) Puy lentils

    3 tbsp rapeseed oil

    sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 Remove the bones from the chicken thighs and trim down the thigh meat. Place the bones and trimmings in a pan with half of the leeks, carrots and celery. Pour in 1.2 litres (2 pints) of water and bring to the boil. Then reduce the heat and simmer for about 1 hour until you have achieved a well-flavoured stock. Strain the stock through a colander lined with muslin and place in a jug. You will need about 300ml (½ pint) in total so you can reduce it down if you end up with a little more.
  • 2 Meanwhile, rinse the lentils in a sieve under cold running water. Then place in a pan with 600ml (1 pint) of water. Add a pinch of salt, bring to the boil, then reduce the heat and simmer for 15-20 minutes or until al dente – just tender but still with a little bite. Drain in a sieve and spread out on a tray to dry if not using immediately.
  • 3 Heat a frying pan over a medium heat. Add 1 tbsp of the oil to the pan, then place the chicken thighs in it skin-side down. Reduce the heat to very low and cook for 20-30 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy. Don’t touch them while they are cooking or shake the pan. Just leave them alone and you will produce the most fantastic crisp skin and succulent flesh.
  • 4 When you can see that the chicken thighs are nicely browned and that the flesh is almost – but not quite – cooked through turn them over and cook for another 5-6 minutes until completely cooked through and tender. Remove from the heat and leave to rest in a warm place for 5 minutes.
  • 5 Meanwhile, heat the remaining oil in a pan and sweat the rest of the leeks, carrots and celery for about 10 minutes until softened but not coloured. Stir in the cooked lentils and then pour in the stock. Season to taste and simmer for a few minutes until you have a loose sauce and the vegetables are completely tender. Spoon the savoury lentils into warmed wide rimmed bowls and arrange the crispy chicken thighs on top.
  • Food profile

    What’s in season?

    Leeks. \ GIY

    The leek is possibly one of the most underrated winter vegetables in Ireland. In truth, they are capable of enhancing the flavour of so many dishes, like Neven’s savoury lentils. They can be tricky to clean as there are so many layers where dirt can be found. The easiest thing to do is slice them (or chop, depending on what the recipe calls for), place the leeks in a fine mesh strainer and rinse well under cold running water. Being a hearty winter vegetable, you can find quality Irish leeks at any farmer’s market at this time of year.