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There’s nothing more satisfying than a pot of beans. There’s something so fresh about a well-seasoned pot. Bags of shelled fresh beans are offered at the supermarkets here throughout the year, and it really is a revelation after years of dried beans. I urge you to seek them out! To this recipe I’ve added akkedenia or loquats which are abundant here in the Spring. They add a zestiness and sweetness that works so uniquely well with duck. To round it out, smoked duck breasts. The Lebanese love their duck and by marinating it and smoking it over familiar flavours you get a dish that while not traditionally Lebanese, full of the flavours of the Lebanese countryside in springtime. Top it all off with some garlicky breadcrumbs and this ends up being slightly reminiscent of a smoky, earthy French cassoulet.
Stewed White Beans with Akkedenia
1 kg fresh white beans, or dried soaked overnight
1 head garlic, sliced in half through the equator
1 red onion, cut into 6 wedges
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs rosemary
1 lemon, cut in half
1 red chili, cut in half
1 litre filtered water
200 ml olive oil
2 tablespoons salt
10 akkedenia, loquats, peeled, stoned and cut into quarters
1/2 cup garlic bread crumbs
Smoked Duck Breasts
2 duck breasts, the fat scored in crosshatch pattern (don’t cut the flesh!)
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon sumac
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
In wok for smoking:
1/2 cup jasmine rice
2 tablespoons black tea leaves
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tablespoon coriander seeds
4 orange zest strips
3 sprigs rosemary
Stewed White Beans with Akkedenia
Combine everything in a large heavy pot and bring to a simmer. Don’t allow it to boil or you will get beans that aren’t cooked in the middle but are falling apart on the outside. For the fresh beans I used it took 45 minutes to finish, but stir and check often to the doneness you prefer. Stir in your loquats and allow them to heat through. Set pot aside until your duck is ready. To serve, spoon out your beans into a serving dish and arrange the smoked duck slices on top. Garnish generously with the garlic breadcrumbs.
Smoked Duck Breasts
Combine all of the ingredients in a plastic bag and allow to marinate overnight. The next day remove from the liquid, dry, and salt. Place the duck breasts fat side down in a cold pan on medium heat. Cook slowly allowing as much of the fat to come out from the duck as possible, crisping it up. When you’re done remove and prepare a pan with a lid for smoking.
Double line the bottom of your pan with aluminium foil and combine all of the smoking aromatics in the pan. Now set a steaming basket or other perforated cooking rack inside the pan, turn on the heat to medium until you start seeing whips of smoke coming from it. Now place the rendered duck breasts, skin side up, on the rack and cover your pot, pulling the edges of the foil over the top to prevent smoke from escaping. Cook 8 minutes medium heat. turn off heat and sit covered 10 more. Allow to rest before cutting into slices.
