Nigel Slater's midweek dinner: duck and dates

A lot of butchers and supermarkets sell endlessly useful packets of duck breasts. They keep quite well in the fridge, too. For a sweet and refreshing way with them, try them with dates and cucumber
nigel duck dates and walnuts
Use your nut: Nigel Slater's duck, dates and walnut midweek dinner. Photograph: Jonathan Lovekin for the Observer

The recipe

Score the skin in three or four places with a very sharp knife, but not cutting through the flesh. Peel, halve, seed and thickly slice half a cucumber. Put the duck, skin side down, in a frying pan over a moderate heat, leaving it to brown nicely. Turn it over and cook the other side. Add a thick slice of butter (about 40g) to the pan. Put in 125g of stoned dates and 50g of shelled walnut halves. Let them cook for about five minutes, then push the duck breasts to one side (or remove if necessary) and add two slices of sourdough or other good bread to the pan. Let the bread brown, turn it over, then remove the bread and the duck.

Add the cucumber to the pan and, if necessary, a little more butter. Toss the cucumber, dates and walnuts together. Put the bread on two plates. Slice each piece of duck into four or five thick pieces then place them on the hot toasted bread. Scatter over the cucumber, dates and walnuts and any buttery juices that come with them. Serves 2.

The trick

Make certain the skin of the duck is dry before you place it in the pan. This will help it to crisp properly. Take care the dates don't brown too quickly, remove them if they do and mix briefly at the end.

The twist

Try the recipe with a game bird such as partridge, cut in half. Lower the heat and cover so the bird gets time to cook through to the bones. Use chicken thighs instead, adjusting the cooking time as necessary.

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Nigel Slater reveals how to make a special yet simple midweek dinner