Autumn Flavours of Duck

garlic & parsnip puree with edible autumn leaves.

Serves 4

Prep time: 1hour

Cook time: 4 hours

Ingredients:

Duck leg confit

• 4 Duck leg quarters

• 4tsp Rock Salt

• 1 Star Anise

• 2 tsp Sichuan peppercorns, crushed

• 2 cloves Garlic, crushed

• 5 sprigs Fresh Thyme

• 1 Orange, sliced

• 500ml Rendered duck fat

Method

1. Combine the rock salt, star anise, Sichuan pepper garlic, thyme and orange and coat the duck legs in the mixture

2. Place in a non-reactive container like a stainless steel or glass bowl and leave to cure overnight

3. Once cured place in a roasting tray and cover with duck fat

4. Cook in a 140C oven for 4 hours. Meat should fall of the bone

5. Let cool before shredding the meat

Smoked duck breast

• 4 Duck breasts

• Apple wood chips for smoking

• 15 ml Soy Sauce

• 5 ml Mirin

• 15ml Honey

• 1 clove Garlic, minced

• 5 g Fresh Ginger, grated

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Sunflower oil for pan frying

Method

1. Score the duck breast fat layer into a criss-cross pattern and place the duck breast in a container, cover with plastic wrap. Using a cold smoke gun inject smoke from the apple wood chips into the container until the duck breast is fully submerged in smoke. Seal the container and let it stand for 40 min – 60 min

2. Mix the Soy sauce, Mirin, honey, garlic and ginger together and season with salt and pepper

3. Once duck breast has been infused with the smoke place in the soy mixture and let marinade for another 30min

4. Place a large frying pan over a medium to low heat and place the duck breast skin down in the pan with a little bit of cooking oil. Slowly render out the fat until the skin is dark brown and crispy. Remove the breast from the pan and turn the temperature onto high heat. Let the pan get hot before placing the duck breast flesh side down to seal and brown the duck breast. Cook until pink in the centre

Fig and Beetroot Compote.

Ingredients

• 100g Mediterranean figs

• 100g Baby beetroot

• 20g Brown sugar

• 20ml Honey

• 20ml Balsamic vinegar

• 1 Orange, zested and juiced

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Boil baby beetroot until tender in salted water, Let cool and peel the beetroot and cut into large cubes

2. Place the beetroot and the figs into a roasting pan and drizzle with honey, Roast until soft and caramelised in a 180C oven. About 15 min

3. Place the fig and beetroot mixture along with roasting juices into a sauce pan and add the sugar, balsamic vinegar and orange zest and juice. Bring to a simmer and reduce until slight syrupy consistency is achieved

4. Blend until smoot and season to taste

Garlic and Parsnip puree

Ingredients

• 200g Parsnip, peeled and grated

• 3 cloves garlic, minced

• 50g Butter

• 100ml Cream

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

• Sweat the grated parsnip and garlic in butter until tender

• Add the cream and reduce until thick. Season to taste and puree

Edible Autumn Leaves

Ingredients

• 4 sheets of rice paper

• 4ml Sesame oil

• 5ml Soy Sauce

• 5ml Mirin

• 1 drop red gel food colouring

• Salt and pepper to taste

Method

1. Mix the Sesame oil, soy sauce, mirin and food colouring together

2. With a pastry brush, brush over the rice paper unevenly to achieve different shades of colouring

3. Let the rice paper dry before cutting into leaf shapes to be used as garnishing