Recipe time: Breast of duck with lime jus

Monday 14 December 2009

Breast of Duck with Lime Jus, Roast Parsnips, Baby Spinach, Vanilla Mash

Serves 6

This is a twist on the classic dish of duck with orange sauce, using lime instead of orange. This gives an even fresher, zestier taste which cuts through the richness of the duck, and goes beautifully with the asian spices used to make the spice rub for the duck. Duck is at its best right now, so make the most of it with this great recipe.

Duck

6 duck breasts

½ tsp black peppercorns

1 star anise

2 cloves

Method:

Place the peppercorns, star anise and cloves in a pestle and mortar or spice grinder and grind to a fine powder.

Season the duck breast all over with the spice mix, then cover and place in the fridge for at least one hour to flavour the meat.

When ready to cook, heat a heavy-based pan over a medium heat and place the duck breasts in skin side down to render the fat from the duck. Cook for 10 - 12 minutes turning occasionally, until the skin turns golden brown. Make sure you don't use a pan with a plastic handle as you will be putting it in the oven later.

Remove the duck breasts from the pan straight onto a warmed plate to rest. Cover the duck loosely with tin foil and leave for 5-10 minutes - this will help the duck ‘relax' and feel more tender.

Retain the duck fat in the pan to use for the cooking the parsnips.

Roast Parsnips

4 large parsnips

2 tsp olive oil

½ tbsp brown sugar

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 400F/Gas Mark 6.

Peel then cut the parsnips into rough batons, roughly 9cmx1cm.

Place the chopped parsnips in the pan the duck containing the rendered duck fat, and cook over a medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with olive oil and brown sugar, place the pan straight into the oven and roast for approximately 20 minutes or until the parsnips are golden brown.

Vanilla Mash

300g Maris Piper potatoes

75ml double cream

½ tbsp butter

1 vanilla pod

Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Peel and cut the potatoes into even sizes roughly an inch square, cover with water and simmer until cooked (they should be soft enough to crush against the side of the pan with a fork.) This should take approximately 20-25 minutes. Whilst the potatoes are cooking, remove the seeds from the vanilla pod.

When cooked, thoroughly drain the potatoes, return them to the pan and put place it onto the stove to dry out.

Mash the potatoes or, if you have one, put them through a hand ricer and then stir in the butter and cream with a wooden spoon.

Season to taste and add the vanilla seeds.

Duck Sauce

300ml  chicken stock (you can buy this in most supermarkets if you don't have your own)

2 limes

25g sugar

100ml red wine

1 handful of mirepoix (finely chopped onion, celery, carrot and leek)

Method:

Fry the mirepoix in a little oil until golden brown, add the sugar and then the red wine and simmer until the quantity is reduced by half.

Add the stock and lime juice and reduce further until it is starting to thicken. You could use a small amount of arrowroot to help the thickening process.

Baby Spinach

1 large bag Baby Spinach

50g butter

1 clove garlic

Salt and pepper to season

Method:

Bring a large pan of water to the boil.

Wash the spinach and plunge into the boiling water for 1 minute. Drain and refresh under cold water.

Place the cooked spinach into a colander and drain. Take large handfuls of the spinach and squeeze the moisture out.

Melt the butter, mix into the spinach and season to taste.

Cover and keep in the fridge until ready to serve.

Assembling the dish

This is as important as the food itself - remember you start to eat with your eyes!

Take 6 large white plates, and imagine each one divided into three sections. Divide the parsnips into six portions and place them onto the plates in one of the three sections. Now cut each duck breast into 2 lengthways and place the slices on top of the parsnips. Reheat the spinach in a microwave (about a minute on full power should do it) and place a mound on each plate in the second section. Then place the mashed potato into a mound in the last section and place a sprig of chervil on top.

Finally, pour the lime sauce over the duck and serve.

Mark Stower, Company Executive Chef

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