Duck Breasts with a Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce

Name: Duck Breasts with a Walnut and Pomegranate Sauce
Yield: Serves Four
Cuisine: Iraqi
Ingredients: salt and ground black pepper; 4 duck breast fillets, about 225 g/8 oz each; 6 pomegranates; 60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil; 2 onions, very thinly sliced; 30 ml/2 tbsp caster (superfine) sugar; 60 ml/4 tbsp lemon juice; 2.5 ml/½ tsp ground turmeric; 400 g/14 oz/3½ cups walnuts, roughly chopped; 1 litre/1¾ pints/4 cups duck or chicken stock

Preparation info

Serves
Four

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Complete Guide to Traditional Jewish Cooking

By Marlena Spieler

Published 2016

About

This is a modern version of a traditional dish of the Jews of Iraq and Iran. Pomegranates are considered special fruit, as it is said that each one contains 613 seeds, the same number as the number of mitzvot, or commandments, which jews are taught to adhere to. For this reason, pomegranates hold a special place on many family tables.

Ingredients

60 ml/4 tbsp olive oil
2 onions, very thinly sliced

Asia
Iran
Iraq
Main course
Gluten-free

Method

Heat half the oil in a frying pan. Add the onions and turmeric, and cook gently until soft. Transfer to a pan, add the walnuts and stock, then season with salt and pepper. Stir, then bring to the boil and simmer the mixture, uncovered, for 20 minutes.