appetite magazine
Breast of Gressingham duck three ways
 
 
Author:
Serves: 4
Ingredients
  • for the shallot purée
  • 100g butter
  • 500g chopped shallots
  • for the potato fondant
  • 4 potatoes
  • 50g butter
  • 2 litres chicken stock
  • 350g whole shallots, peeled
  • for the duck:
  • oil for frying
  • 4 Gressingham duck breasts
  • ½ bottle red wine
  • for the deep-fried shallots
  • 50g shallots, sliced in rings
  • plate of flour
  • salt and pepper
Method
  1. The shallot purée can be made days in advance or even made and frozen then used as you need it.
  2. For the shallot purée: Place butter in a pan, add shallots and cook gently until softened. Season with salt. Place in a food processor and purée finely. Cover and keep in the fridge until required.
  3. For the potato fondant: Peel the potatoes and slice the sides off to flatten them. Then cut into discs using a cylinder or pastry cutter. In a saucepan melt a knob of butter over a moderate heat and add potatoes. Cook on all sides until golden then place potatoes in an ovenproof dish and half cover in chicken stock. Place in the oven at 180C/Gas 4 for 35-40 mins. After 15 mins add ¾ of the peeled whole shallots. The stock should be soaked up by the potatoes and shallots, leaving them cooked through and tasty. Time the cooking of these shallots and potatoes so that they get into the oven first with the duck going in towards the last 20 mins of their cooking time.
  4. For the duck: Place a large ovenproof pan on the hob and add a spoonful of oil (not much as the duck will render down a lot of its own fat). Season the duck breasts with sea salt and pepper and place flesh side down in the hot pan. Cook for 1 min then turn over onto the fat side and place the pan in the oven. They should take approx 10 mins to cook depending on their thickness in an oven at 180C/Gas 4. Once cooked remove from the oven and allow to rest in a warm place for 6-8 mins.
  5. Deglaze the duck cooking pan by placing back on the heat, pouring in the red wine and reducing until syrupy, add the remainder of the stock and reduce until it has reached a sauce consistency. Pass through a very fine sieve into a clean pan.
  6. For the deep fried shallots: Slice the shallots into thin rings and place into a little seasoned flour. Deep fry in hot oil until golden brown and then place on to kitchen paper to drain. Season with salt and pepper.
  7. To serve: Place the hot potato in the centre of the dish, on top of that place the deep fried shallot rings. Dot the hot shallot purée around the outside. On top of the shallot purée, add one of the braised shallots. Cut the duck breasts into 6 equal cubes and place that around the outside. Drizzle with the hot sauce and serve immediately.
Recipe by appetite magazine at https://www.appetitemag.co.uk/breast-of-gressingham-duck-three-ways/