Pan-roast duck with sweet potato fondant, baby vegetables and cherry brandy sauce
Item 1 of 1
- medium
- 2
- 40 minutes
This Andrew Mackenzie duck recipe requires a lot of pans but don't be put off, as this is a truly sublime way to use the wonderful fowl: confiting and then pan roasting for maximum taste. The duck benefits from the addition of an array of vegetables - carrots, leeks, turnips and potatoes - to round off the dish. You can confit the duck overnight and even make your own duck stock beforehand.
First published in 2015
Ingredients
Metric
Imperial
Whole Gressingham duck
- 1 medium duck
- 20g of sea salt
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 large orange, zested
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 400g of duck fat
Sauce
- 4 shallots
- 2 duck neck
- 2l duck stock
- 2l veal stock
- 350ml of cherry brandy
- 4 peppercorns
To serve
- 2 sweet potatoes, peeled
- 4 baby leeks
- 4 baby carrots
- 2 baby turnips
- 1 knob of butter
- salt
- pepper
- 100g of butter
SAVE RECIPE
Equipment
- Muslin cloth
Method
1
Begin the duck recipe by removing the legs from the duck. Rub with a mix of the thyme, salt, orange zest and cinnamon stick and leave the duck in the fridge for two hours
- 1 medium duck
- 20g of sea salt
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 large orange
- 1 cinnamon stick
2
Remove from the fridge, wash the duck legs in cold water and pat dry. Place the legs in a heavy pan, cover with the 400g of melted duck fat and then cover the pan with the lid. Cook in the oven for 8 hours at 90˚C, or alternatively use a thermometer to maintain in the stove top at 90˚C
- 400g of duck fat
3
Once cooked, cool in the fat and remove the thigh bone by gently moving your fingers along the bone to separate the flesh. Once the bone is removed, shape into a ball with the skin on the outside and wrap in double cling film. Chill in the fridge to set to shape until ready to re-heat
4
Take off the duck breast and score the skin before also placing in the fridge. You can reserve the bones to make the duck stock
5
Next, make the sauce. Sweat the shallots in a heavy bottom pan in a small amount of vegetable oil. Add the small peppercorns and duck neck and lightly colour. Add the cherry brandy and reduce by three quarters
- 4 shallots
- 4 peppercorns
- 2 duck neck
- 350ml of cherry brandy
6
Add the duck and veal stock and reduce to a coating consistency
- 2l duck stock
- 2l veal stock
7
Once reduced, pass through a double muslin. Put to one side until ready to use
8
Cut the peeled sweet potato into 10cm discs about 5cm deep
9
Using a metal fondant cutter, cut 2 rounds and trim the edges with a peeler. Melt a knob of butter in a pan and add the sweet potato trimmings. Cover with a lid and cook until puréed. Season and pass through a sieve
- 1 knob of butter
10
Fry the duck breast and thighs in a pan for two minutes, just so that they warm through. The breast should be cooked flesh side down until it colours then turned over and cooked over a low heat until the fat is rendered out and it is pink in the middle
11
Warm the purée of sweet potato in a pan. Place the sweet potato discs in a separate frying pan and cover with water
12
Add 100g of butter and put on a high heat. Reduce the liquid by half, turn over and continue to cook until all the liquid has gone
13
Drain the potato fondants onto a clean cloth. Cook the baby vegetables in the left over butter emulsion and then serve with the sliced duck breasts, potato fondant, duck thighs and sweet potato purée. Drizzle with the sauce
First published in 2015
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