Warm Salad of Swan Breast over Taglialini Leek, Seared Pineapple Feta with Truffle Oil Vinaigrette

10:01 pm on 18 May 2006

(Serves 4)

Ingredients

  • FOR SMOKING:
  • 2 swan breasts, skin off (or three duck breasts, skin on, scored diagonally)
  • sml handful of green tea leaves (eg, jasmine)
  • 3 tbsp raw sugar
  • ½ C rice
  • 2 green bay leaves
  • 2 juniper berries
  • FOR MEAL:
  • 6 rings of pineapple (not tinned)
  • 2 leeks, white part only, cut lengthwise taglialini style (matchstick wide)
  • 1 lemon
  • marinated feta (cutting, not crumbly) cut into 12 batons (50mm by 10mm square)
  • DRESSING:
  • 2 tsp green peppercorns
  • 1 tsp Dijon mustard
  • 1 tbsp of walnut or (preferably) hazelnut oil
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 tbsp truffle oil
  • 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
  • salt and black pepper

Method

Place swan breasts in a hot smoker and smoke for 10 minutes until just pink in the middle (cut to check). If using duck breasts, turn over halfway through, with skin down. Rack and dry (will keep in fridge for five days).

Sear pineapple slices in a heavy bottomed pan or under a grill until both sides are blackened. Cut in half.

Heat the breasts in an oven for five minutes at 200ºC (no longer).

Drop leeks into a large pot of boiling salted water and blanch for 2 minutes until al dente. Drain leeks in colander. Squeeze lemon over and toss.

Combine dressing ingredients in jar and shake to emulsify.

Plate (per person) three half slices of pineapple in a circle with a gap between each slice. Place a baton of feta in each gap. Place a bundled hill of leek in the middle. Slice swan breast diagonally into half centimetre slices (with duck breasts cut across the scored skin). Fan slices on top of leeks. Coat with dressing lightly.

* Commercial duck breast can be substituted for the swan (not wild duck: too small)

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