You may have noticed that recently I have been concentrating on tasty yet healthy meals that are easy for anyone to make. This seared salmon is full of spices and tastes and has a lovely texture. You might like to try lemon-flavoured rapeseed oil instead of the olive oil. The lime juice adds great flavour but be careful with the chilli – if you are unsure, only put in one as you can always add more but you can’t take it out.

The combination of the rich caramelised sticky duck, tangy dressing, the texture of the pomegranate seeds and the fresh salad make this a meal for all occasions.

Pak choi is now grown in Ireland and is easy to get. I love the pomegranate but you could substitute a watermelon instead.

For the last 30 years at MacNean House, we have been getting our duck from local producers Thornhill Duck, who are up the road here in Blacklion. They produce an Aylesbury Pekin cross and it is tender with great flavour. At the other end of the county I was delighted to visit Eugene and Helena Hickey of Skeaghanore West Cork Duck in Ballydehob, overlooking the spectacular Roaringwater Bay. They have a great product and have been winning many well-deserved awards.

Happy cooking,

Neven

Seared salmon with sweet pea guacamole

Serves four

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil, plus extra for brushing

4 x 150g/5oz salmon fillets, bones removed and scaled

450g/1lb bag frozen peas

2 tbsp lime juice

2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves, plus extra to garnish

2 red chillies, seeded and diced

½ tsp ground cumin

½ tsp ground coriander

Good pinch ground paprika, plus extra to garnish

Eight sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained and finely chopped

One small red onion, finely diced

About 4 tbsp soured cream

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

  • 1 Heat a griddle pan and then brush with a little of the olive oil. Season the salmon fillets and place them in the pan, skin-side down. Cook for two to three minutes over a high heat, then turn over, reduce the heat slightly, and cook for another minute or so until just tender. Remove from the heat.
  • 2 Place the peas in a pan of boiling salted water and cook for four to five minutes until just tender. Drain, refresh under cold running water and set aside.
  • 3 Blend together three tablespoons of oil, the lime juice, fresh coriander, diced red onion and the chillies in a food processor until quite smooth.
  • 4 Add the peas to the food processor with the ground cumin, coriander, paprika, one teaspoon of salt and half a teaspoon of pepper and blend again until smooth (don’t worry if there are a few lumps). Tip the pea mixture into a bowl and fold in the sun-dried tomatoes and onion. Season to taste.
  • 5 Arrange the sweet pea guacamole in the centre of serving plates with the salmon fillets, skin-side up on top. Add a spoonful of the soured cream to each one and garnish with a sprinkling of paprika and some coriander leaves.

    • Sticky duck salad

    Serves two

    For the duck:

    Two duck breast fillets

    2 tsp Chinese five-spice powder

    50g (2oz) light golden brown sugar

    3 tbsp dark soy sauce

    One large garlic clove, crushed

    For the salad:

    Two pak choi greens, thinly sliced

    100g (5oz) sugar snap peas, sliced

    Four spring onions, sliced on the diagonal

    handful of fresh mint leaves

    One small pomegranate

    For the dressing:

    1 tsp caster sugar

    2 tbsp dark soy sauce

    Juice of 1 lime

    1 tsp freshly grated root ginger

  • 1 Trim the duck fillets and score the skin with a sharp knife, then rub all over with the Chinese five-spice. Leave to marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
  • 2 Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F/gas mark four). Heat an ovenproof frying pan over a high heat. Add the duck breasts skin-side down and cook for three minutes until golden and most of the fat has run into the pan. Then carefully drain off this excess fat.
  • 3 Flip the duck breasts over and add the light golden brown sugar, soy sauce and garlic, basting with a spoon to create a sauce. Transfer to the oven and roast for another eight minutes until the duck breasts are cooked through and tender, basting once or twice. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 10 minutes, continuing to baste with the sauce so that it forms a nice sticky glaze.
  • 4 Meanwhile, arrange the pak choy on plates or in shallow bowls and scatter over the sugar snap peas and spring onions. Rip the mint leaves into small pieces and sprinkle on top. Cut the pomegranate in half and then, holding the cut-side down, bash the skin with a wooden spoon to remove the seeds over the top of the salad.
  • 5 Mix the ingredients for the dressing in a small dish, stirring until the caster sugar has dissolved, and then drizzle some over the salad. Carve the rested duck into thin slices and arrange on top, serving the rest of the dressing in dipping bowls alongside.