Honey-Glazed Duck Breast on a Lentil and Sweet Potato Salad

Preheat the oven to 325°F (convection oven) or 350°F (upper and lower heat). In a small pot, bring water to a boil for the lentils. Peel sweet potato and cut into ½” cubes. Peel and finely chop onion. Halve snow peas at an angle.

Step 2:

Add beluga lentils and salt to the boiling water and simmer at medium heat for about 11 minutes. Then add red lentils to beluga lentils and cook for another 7 minutes.

Step 3:

Meanwhile, set aside some thyme sprigs for garnishing, and pluck the remaining leaves from the stems. Peel and core apple, and cut into ½” cubes.

Step 4:

Heat 3 tbsp. oil in a pan and cook sweet potato on high heat for 2 minutes. Then reduce heat and continue cooking for about 15 minutes at low heat, turning occasionally. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Step 5:

Meanwhile, pat duck breasts dry and use a sharp knife to make diamond-shaped cuts in the skin without cutting the meat. Season with salt and pepper to taste on all sides. In a bowl, mix honey with thyme leaves and salt.

Step 6:

Place duck breasts in cold pan without oil, skin side down, heat up to a high temperature, and cook on high heat for about 4 minutes. Then turn over and continue cooking for 30 seconds.

Step 7:

Place duck breasts skin side up onto a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with honey-thyme glaze and cook in the preheated oven on a middle rack for 8 minutes.

Step 8:

Meanwhile, add snow peas, onion and apple to sweet potatoes and cook for another 5 minutes on medium heat. Then, remove pan from heat.

Step 9:

In another bowl, mix 4 tbsp. oil with 2 ½ tbsp. white wine vinegar and mustard to make a marinade. Season with sugar, salt and pepper to taste. Drain cooked lentils.

Step 10:

Add lentils to pan along with marinade and mix well.