Ingredients:

• 225g (8 oz) asparagus, trimmed
• 2 confit of duck legs
• 75g (3 oz) pea shoots or soft baby salad leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• For the dressing:
• 1 sprig of fresh rosemary
• 9 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 pink shallots, finely diced
• 2 garlic cloves, sliced
• 5 tbsp Bonne Maman Strawberry Conserve
• 3-4 tbsp sherry vinegar

Method:

1. First, make the dressing. Remove the leaves from the sprig of rosemary and finely chop them (reserving the stalk). Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a frying pan and cook the shallots and garlic with the rosemary leaves for 2-3 minutes until it begins to sizzle and turn golden brown.

2. Remove from the heat, stir in the remaining oil, the conserve and the vinegar. Season the dressing and pour into an empty jar. Push in the reserved rosemary stalk, seal and leave to marinate in a cool place for at least 24 hours or up to 1 week (the longer the better).

3. Cook the asparagus in plenty of boiling, salted water until just tender. Drain and immediately plunge into ice-cold water to cool. Drain and keep chilled until needed.

4. About 2 hours before serving, preheat the oven to 220°C (fan oven 200°C), gas mark 7.

5. Cook the confit of duck legs in the preheated oven for about 15 minutes or until golden brown and crispy. Remove from the oven, set aside to cool, then shred the meat from the bones. Spoon 2-3 tablespoons of dressing over the warm duck meat.

6. When ready to serve, divide the asparagus between 6 serving plates. Top with the shredded duck and some pea shoots or salad leaves. Spoon over a little extra dressing before serving.

Cook’s tips:

• The dressing is also wonderful served with smoked meats and salty, soft goats’ cheese.
• If you cannot find confit of duck, poach 2 duck legs gently in stock for 1 hour until very tender. Drain well, rub the skin with a little salt and olive oil and roast as above.

Recipe taken from ‘Bonne Maman The Seasonal Cookbook’ (published by Simon & Schuster).