Duck with pomegranate sauce, black risotto and coconut foam

Last night T and I discovered that we had a full evening to ourselves, and so we decided to cook a treat.

N, my brother and lovely source of all things exotic and foodie had brought us black rice on a summer visit and we wanted a recipe that would show it off as part of a main course.  We found this one, from the New Zealand Gamebird Food Festival:




Ingredients
4 Quail
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp pomegranate molasses
2 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tbsp Red wine
½ fresh pomegranate (optional)

Rice Pilaf
1 shallot, finely chopped
50g butter
200g black rice (long grain rice is ok)
500mls chicken stock

Coconut Sauce
1 shallot (finely chopped)
2 kaffir lime leaves
1 tbsp coconut (lightly toasted)
100mls white wine
200mls Coconut cream
1 lime

Method
For the marinade Combine one tablespoon each of honey, molasses & vinegar then pour over the Quail, which can be roasted whole or in two halves, let marinate for two hours

Sweat the Shallot then add the coconut, Lime leaves & White wine reduce a little then add coconut cream simmer for five minutes then season to taste with fresh lime & salt then strain through a sieve.

Take 1 tablespoon each of honey, molasses, vinegar, red wine & juice from the pomegranate (reserving the seeds) reduce over a low heat to a runny syrup

Sweat the shallot in butter add the rice & cook for two minutes over a low heat then add the stock & cover, simmer till the liquid has gone & the rice is tender, add salt & herbs to taste

Assembly
Roast or panfry the quail to medium rare then let rest. On four warm plates place a spoon full of rice then top with the rested quail, drizzle with the pomegranate syrup & seeds. Heat the coconut sauce & foam with a stick blender & pour over the quail, garnish with shredded lime leaves.

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Adjustments

Quail not being readily available in Morrisons, we roasted a duck instead, basting it with the pomegranate marinade, and then used just the breasts for this dish.  We made the pomegranate molasses ourselves by reducing pomegranate juice with sugar and lemon, and substituted port for the red wine, and Noilly Prat for the white wine.

Reaction

It's absolutely fabulous; fruity and creamy and savoury all at once, and oh-so-moreish. I would definitely recommend making it with the black rice, as the grains are so smooth and the deep black-purple colour is so warming and vibrant on the plate.

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Have you tried this recipe? How did you find it? Did you make any substitutions or additions?