Thanks to Zaf at Shababs, I had the chance to see if duck cut the Balti ‘mustard’ instead of chicken or lamb. He cooked one duck breast marinated and then seared over charcoal and another with mango and pomegranate purees. Both were skinned and chopped into chunks before getting the Balti treatment. 

The problem with duck, of course, is that once skinned, it soon becomes unforgiving in texture when fast cooked. So predictably, the end result was a slightly rubbery texture but salvaged by it languishing in Shababs’ superb Balti sauce. I’m determined to experiment with  other types of meat or poultry but I think Zaf will be currently sticking to the tried and tested favourites of chicken and lamb!

There’s a website called the Food Review Club with apparently nigh on 300,000 followers so when they contacted me about doing a piece about balti I was happy to accept. The likeable couple behind the initiative are young and not from Brum so just the sort of foodies that need to know what the difference is between a proper Brum Balti and the Balti blagger. Thanks must go to Zaf at Shababs for also letting the guys into the kitchen …