Smoked Duck Carpaccio

1. Smoke your duck breasts. I put them in a pan first, skin side down and fry the skin for a few minutes. Then flip them over and put them in a smoker (I use a small one that fits on my stove). Use any kind of wood chips you like; I add some rosemary, thyme, peppercorns and juniper berries to the wood chips for extra flavour. Smoke the breasts for 10-15 minutes.

2. Fry your bacon crisp and golden. Make a dressing with the aceto balsamico and the olive oil.

2. Now make the pesto. Roast the pine nuts in a dry pan and set aside to cool. Grate the parmesan cheese finely. Remove the stems from the basil and add them to a food processor together with the garlic and COLD pine nuts. Add 2 ice cubes and the lemon juice to prevent the pesto from browning before you turn the food processor on. Slowly add the olive oil. Remove from the food processor and add the pesto to a bowl. Now stir in the parmesan cheese and season to taste with salt and pepper. If you find the pesto too thick, add more olive oil. If you are not using the pesto right away, don’t add the parmesan cheese. I find that it tastes best to add the parmesan at the last possible minute.

3. After 10 minutes, check on the duck. If you feel it is not ready, leave for another 5 minutes. Then remove from the smoker and slice in really thin (carpaccio) slices.

4. Put the salad leaves and the bacon in a bowl and dress with the dressing. Season the bowl with some salt and pepper.

5. Dress the plates with the salad leaves, place the sliced duck breast on top (use half a breast per portion) and drizzle the pesto around the plate.