Dinner Party - Duck

[BumpingFuglies]

I'm cooking duck breasts with cherry sauce on friday, may I have some ideas for side dishes please? Also was looking at doing something with chorizo for a starter. All ideas and advice gratefully received. Oh, it's dinner for 5 people. Thank you!

Bump

Well, my go to chorizo recipe is to fry thinish slices till crispy on the outside & serve with fresh pasta, but that might be a bit much for a starter. Could you do a few tapas dishes for starters? Fried chorizo, patatas bravas, olives, maybe those padron peppers cooked in salt, or posh anchovies?

For the main course I would go for simple side dishes as the duck sounds quite rich & flavoursome. Mashed potatoes? Green beans? Baby leaf spinach salad with lemon dressing?

Mmmm. I am inspired to have people for dinner!

I love scallops & chorizo. Mmmmm. Might have to get the scallops out of the freezer for supper tomorrow night (that's northern supper, meal after tea - not Nigel Slater supper ).

I second antidote on the side dishes.
Nigella has a starter of chorizo and scallops in her book about fast food. Scallops are expensive though.

Personally, I wouldn't serve a chorizo starter with a duck main (and I realise that this makes me sound like a poncy arse!). I'd go for a lighter-tasting starter - maybe some chilli prawns and lime mayo or roast peppers piedmontese style.

I'd have mash with the duck, too, and either sprouting broccolli and spinach. Enjoy.

Thanks for this everyone! Agent - Think you may be right about the chroizo starter, I just happen to have some.

Bit stuck on the starter as one guest can't have fish or shellfish, any other ideas?

Unless you're having cheese at the other end, what about a blue cheese, pear and walnut salad? I did a nice salad once with apple and a Camembert and cider dressing.

That sounds really nice Agent, and not planning to have cheese afterwards. What dressing would you use with the blue cheese and pear?

Probably just a light vinaigrette with some white wine vinegar. Or you could melt the blue cheese and do it as a dressing.