Duck Breast with Fig Recipe - Great British Chefs

Duck breast with confit fig, fennel and five spice

Main
easy
4
3 hours, plus overnight marinating

PT3H

Agnar Sverrisson's dish comprises of many component parts — each as delicious as the next. The aniseed flavour of fennel works well against the figs which perfectly tie together this duck breast dish.

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Ingredients

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Metric

Imperial

Duck confit

Fig purée

500g of dried figs
200ml of water
200ml of red wine
200ml of port

Fennel powder

100g of fennel seeds

Duck sauce

650g of duck bones
75ml of red wine
1000ml of brown chicken stock
1g of xanthan gum
2g of salt
28ml of red wine vinegar
1 garlic clove
2g of thyme leaves
1g of fennel seeds, toasted

Confit fennel

1 fennel bulb
2 tbsp of olive oil
20ml of Pernod
20ml of Noilly Prat
1 star anise
salt

Confit figs

4 black figs
200ml of red wine, reduced by half

Fig and fennel purée

20ml of olive oil
250g of fennel, finely chopped
50ml of water
1 pinch of salt
50ml of milk

Duck

Swiss chard

500g of Swiss chard, stems removed

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Fine sieve
Blender

Method

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Rub the salt and five spice into the duck legs and leave overnight in the fridge

Heat the oven to 140°C/Gas mark 1

Wipe the excess salt off the legs and put into an oven proof dish. Cover with the duck fat and place into the oven for 2 hours 30 minutes. Leave to cool in the fat

For the fig purée, bring all the ingredients to the boil in a small saucepan and cook for 3 minutes. Transfer the mixture to a blender and blitz until smooth. Pass through a fine sieve

500g of dried figs
200ml of water
200ml of red wine
200ml of port

For the fennel powder, put the fennel seeds on a baking tray and cook for 7-8 minutes until toasted, blitz to a coarse powder in a spice blender or chop by hand

100g of fennel seeds

To make the duck sauce preheat the oven to 180c. Roast the duck bones for 30-40 minutes, until golden brown. Meanwhile, reduce the red wine to 25ml and add the chicken stock and roasted bones. Bring to the boil then simmer for 45 minutes. Strain Stir in the xantham gum and season with salt, vinegar and 50g of the fig puree

650g of duck bones
75ml of red wine
1000ml of brown chicken stock
1g of xanthan gum
2g of salt
28ml of red wine vinegar

Sieve, then add the fennel seeds, garlic and thyme and infuse for 1-2 minutes. Sieve again and reserve

1g of fennel seeds, toasted
1 garlic clove
2g of thyme leaves

For the confit fennel, cut the fennel into 2cm thick sections,keeping the root intact. Put a little oil in a large pan and add the sections cut side down, season with salt and sweat for 2-3 minutes on each side

1 fennel bulb
2 tbsp of olive oil
20ml of Pernod
20ml of Noilly Prat
1 star anise
salt

Add the Pernod, Noilly Prat and star anise and cover. Cook for 20-30 minutes or until tender

For the fig and fennel purée, put the oil, fennel, water and salt in a pan, cover and sweat over a high heat until soft

20ml of olive oil
250g of fennel, finely chopped
50ml of water
50ml of water
1 pinch of salt
50ml of milk

Add the milk, bring to the boil and then pour into a blender. Add 60g of the fig purée and blend. Pass through a fine sieve

For the confit figs, split the figs in half lengthways and put on a baking tray cut side up. Coat with the reduced red wine. Place under a low grill for 5 minutes or until the figs are and soft. Sprinkle with fennel powder

4 black figs

Season the duck breasts and put them into a cold frying pan skin side down over a low heat. Slowly cook the breasts until they start to brown and the fat renders out, which should take about 10-15 minutes. Once they are golden brown turn over and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Remove from the pan and leave to rest

To finish the duck legs, heat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 6. Scrape away any excess fat, place on an oven rack over a roasting tin and cook for 15-20 minutes until heated through and the skin is crispy

For the Swiss chard, remove the leaves and blanch in salted boiling water, then refresh in iced water. Warm through in the duck sauce when needed

500g of Swiss chard, stems removed

To plate, cut the duck breast in half and remove the bone from the duck leg and cut into two. Spoon some sauce into the centre of the plate. Place a droplet of purée onto the side of the plate.

Position a piece of the duck breast on top of the sauce, with a piece of the confit duck to the right Place a confit fig and confit fennel to the left, and scatter the plate with the chard. Serve immediately

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Agnar Sverrisson

Icelandic chef Agnar Sverrisson has been raising a maelstrom at his restaurant, Texture, since 2007. Named by The Independent New Restaurant of the Year in 2007, Texture has since accumulated a Michelin star, three AA rosettes, a Catey and a Remy Martin Award.