Duck with Vanilla

The French island of Réunion is scented by plantations of bourbon vanilla and sugar cane, as well as the spices used in the lively Creole cuisine. It is a natural paradise known for its cultivation of nutmegs, cloves, date palms, tropical fruits, almonds and pink peppercorns. Ginger, turmeric and tamarind trace their roots back to India along with the banyan trees of the island. Vanilla, an American import grown here since the nineteenth century, has wound its way into savoury cookery.