Duck fattee

A traditional Lebanese dish, usually made for celebrations, duck fattee offers an incredibly colourful display of pomegranate seeds, yoghurt, parsley, chickpeas, rice and duck, It's a great, slightly informal, alternative to a traditional Easter (or Christmas) roast, Normally served with toasted flatbreads, it's one big sharing plate; sure to wow family and guests alike. Any slow-cooked meat works well from chicken to lamb, but we think the delectably gamey and fattiness of duck really sings.

Yields8 Servings
 23 kg whole duck
 1 tbsp salt
 ¼ tsp cinnamon
For the crispbreads
 20 g butter
 23 pitta breads
For the chickpea pilaf
 75 g unsalted butter
 4 cm cinnamon stick
 ½ onion thinly sliced
 300 g basmati rice, rinsed
 400 g tinned chickpeas
 450 ml Ben’s Farm Shop chicken stock
For the fried aubergine
 6 tbsp olive oil
 1 large aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
 1 tsp salt
To layer up the fattee
 500 g Greek yoghurt
 ½ garlic clove, peeled and crushed
 30 g flat-leaf parsley leaves
 75 g walnut pieces
 150 g pomegranate seeds (half juiced)
1

Heat the oven to 220 degrees C. Rub the duck with the sea salt and cinnamon. Place duck breast-side down on a rack in a roasting tray. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip duck over and roast for 20 minutes more. Turn the oven down to 170 degrees C and roast for a further two hours.

2

Salt the aubergine and leave in a colander for 20 minutes then pat with kitchen paper. Heat a large frying pan with the oil on a hot flame. Add the salt and aubergine, and fry for about 15 minutes, until it is soft and brown. Blot on kitchen paper and keep warm.

3

Now for the chickpea pilaf... Fry the onion and butter on a medium heat until golden – 15 minutes and then add the cinnamon and fry for a further minute. Add the rice, fry for a minute, stirring to coat in the butter, add the drained chickpeas and stock, along with a pinch of salt, cover with a lid. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until rice is nice and fluffy.

4

Pop the duck onto a baking tray; pour off the fat and put the tray over a medium heat. Deglaze using the pomegranate juice.. Carve into small pieces, taking the breast off the bone. Cut in half the thighs. You can keep these warm in the oven but be careful. Then add the 90ml water and yoghurt together, adding in the garlic.

5

Next, melt your butter and pop your pittas in the oven for a couple of minutes. Once crisp, halve and cut them open and brush with butter on both sides. Pop them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until crispy and golden.

6

Grab a large serving platter and layer up your final ingredients, starting with the torn crispbreads, rice, aubregine and then duck. Drizzle layers of garlic yoghurt, pomegranate juice and tuck in any remaining crispbreads.
Garnish with the parsley leaves, walnuts and pomegranate seeds.

Ingredients

 23 kg whole duck
 1 tbsp salt
 ¼ tsp cinnamon
For the crispbreads
 20 g butter
 23 pitta breads
For the chickpea pilaf
 75 g unsalted butter
 4 cm cinnamon stick
 ½ onion thinly sliced
 300 g basmati rice, rinsed
 400 g tinned chickpeas
 450 ml Ben’s Farm Shop chicken stock
For the fried aubergine
 6 tbsp olive oil
 1 large aubergine, cut into 2cm cubes
 1 tsp salt
To layer up the fattee
 500 g Greek yoghurt
 ½ garlic clove, peeled and crushed
 30 g flat-leaf parsley leaves
 75 g walnut pieces
 150 g pomegranate seeds (half juiced)

Directions

1

Heat the oven to 220 degrees C. Rub the duck with the sea salt and cinnamon. Place duck breast-side down on a rack in a roasting tray. Roast for 20 minutes, then flip duck over and roast for 20 minutes more. Turn the oven down to 170 degrees C and roast for a further two hours.

2

Salt the aubergine and leave in a colander for 20 minutes then pat with kitchen paper. Heat a large frying pan with the oil on a hot flame. Add the salt and aubergine, and fry for about 15 minutes, until it is soft and brown. Blot on kitchen paper and keep warm.

3

Now for the chickpea pilaf... Fry the onion and butter on a medium heat until golden – 15 minutes and then add the cinnamon and fry for a further minute. Add the rice, fry for a minute, stirring to coat in the butter, add the drained chickpeas and stock, along with a pinch of salt, cover with a lid. Reduce to a gentle simmer and cook for 10 minutes or until rice is nice and fluffy.

4

Pop the duck onto a baking tray; pour off the fat and put the tray over a medium heat. Deglaze using the pomegranate juice.. Carve into small pieces, taking the breast off the bone. Cut in half the thighs. You can keep these warm in the oven but be careful. Then add the 90ml water and yoghurt together, adding in the garlic.

5

Next, melt your butter and pop your pittas in the oven for a couple of minutes. Once crisp, halve and cut them open and brush with butter on both sides. Pop them back in the oven for 15-20 minutes, until crispy and golden.

6

Grab a large serving platter and layer up your final ingredients, starting with the torn crispbreads, rice, aubregine and then duck. Drizzle layers of garlic yoghurt, pomegranate juice and tuck in any remaining crispbreads.
Garnish with the parsley leaves, walnuts and pomegranate seeds.

Notes

Duck fattee
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