Delicious duck

Duck is a beautiful succulent meat which is lovely for a special occasion. It was first domesticated in China over 2,000 years ago, they can be cooked whole on the bone or the breasts can be cooked separately. The leg can be cooked in its own fat which is called a ”Confit” which is a classic French dish.

Duck breast with creamed cabbage, potato galette, juniper and orange jus

Ingredients - Serves two

2 Duck breasts

1 Head savoy cabbage

1 Large potato Peeled and dice into cubes.

1 Orange (segment and squeeze juice from remainder)

100 ml Brown Meat stock

25g Juniper Berries

1 Teaspoon brown sugar

25g Butter

1 Shallot

Salt and pepper

Method

Score the duck breasts by cutting incisions into the skin. Season with salt and pepper and seal on both sides in a hot pan and add potatoes.

Place in oven and cook at 175oc for 15 to 20 minutes to your preference.

Remove Duck and potatoes from pan and set aside to rest.

Remove fat from pan and reserve, add orange juice, sugar and berries, reduce to a light caramel

Add the meat stock; reduce to a nice sauce consistency.

Slice the cabbage and shallot place in a sauce pan with shallot, butter, duck fat and a little water, cover with tin foil and cook over gentle heat for 15 to 20 minutes.

Place spoon of cabbage onto plate and carve duck around

Drizzle sauce around

Roast Duck with pear and raisin stuffing and sauce bigarade

Ingredients - TWO PORTIONS

1x 2600g Fresh Duck.

100g Julienne carrot and leek

2 Baking potato peeled and grated

25ml Olive oil

100g Butter

25g Chopped flat parsley and sage

50g Fresh breadcrumbs

2 Oranges- segmented and squeeze remaining juice and reserve pulp

2 Shallots finely diced

1 Pear peeled and diced

1 Apple peeled and diced

25g Raisins

10g Juniper berries

500ml Rich brown poultry stock

Remove wish bone from duck and sprinkle with water

Place into oven and cook for 40 mins per kg and 20 mins over (2hrs approx.)

Melt 50g the of butter in a saucepan and add diced shallot, apples and pear.

Add raisins after 3 to 4 mins and a then add a little of the orange juice

Mix in the bread crumbs and season and set aside

Reduce the remaining orange juice with diced shallot, orange pulp, juniper and a little thyme

Reduce this to an essence and add stock

Reduce by at least half to achieve a nice sauce consistency. Pass through a fine conical sieve

Melt 25g of butter in a metal pan and add seasoned grated potato with chopped parsley

Cook gently to make a nice golden coloured roesti

Stir fry juilienne of vegetables in olive oil and season well

Remove duck from oven and allow to rest. Carve duck and place onto a tray with stuffing

Place in oven for 15 mins to heat and plate

with Bridge House Hotel Award Winning chef Paddy Kennedy

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