Not a warning and grumble, but nosh. And a terrible picture; it’s nicer than it looks.

• 1 duck breast, scored on the skin side
• Coleslaw (white cabbage, carrots, julienned with simple mustard dressing)
• 1 fennel bulb
• 1 stick of rhubarb
• 2 or three ripe strawberries
• 1 small tomato

Set a pan of water boiling for the fennel which should be roughly chopped. Boil until al dente and drain. Put back in pan.

Preheat oven to 180C and set a small frying pan – that you don’t mind putting in the oven! – on high heat. Season the duck skin and place skin side down in hot pan. Cook for 3 or 4 minutes until the skin colours and crips.

Meanwhile, chop the rhubarb, strawberries and tomato, diced small. Add to the frying pan when duck skin crisped, stir and then turn the duck over onto the flesh side and place the pan into the hot oven for 7 minutes.

Remove the duck from the pan and leave to rest for a couple of minutes whilst putting the compote of fruit on high heat (remember that the frying pan handle is now very hot!!). Put the pan of fennel on low heat and add a generous knob of butter. Keep the contents of the frying pan moving until bubbling then share between two plates. Slice the duck and sit atop. Stir the fennel and heap alongside, adding a dollop of coleslaw.

It really is much nicer than this looks. Honest.

Tags: coleslaw, duck, fennel, Main Course, rhubarb, strawberry