Home smoked duck breast

Method

• 1

  Step 1

  Remove the wishbone from the duck, remove the legs , remove the breasts and trim.
  
• 2

  Step 2

  Cut the carcass into pieces to be used for the stock.
  
• 3

  Step 3

  For the pithivier. Seal duck leg brown the veggies and duck carcass.
  
• 4

  Step 4

  Cook in pressure cooker for 40 mins, strain and reduce sauce until glace consistency.
  
• 5

  Step 5

  Shred the duck , add to the diced apple and chestnuts, bind with the duck glace, cool down quickly.
  
• 6

  Step 6

  Place neat mounds of filling onto discs of puff pastry – keep 1.5cm gap round the edge, place another disc on top, seal well with egg yolk, trim, refrigerate or blast chill if available to firm pastry back up.
  
• 7

  Step 7

  Glaze with egg wash and score using a turning knife in the ‘pitivier style’.
  
• 8

  Step 8

  Refrigerate again before baking at 200/220 deg until deep golden brown in colour.
  
• 9

  Step 9

  Smoked duck breast. Marinade breasts for as long as possible – min 30 minutes, remove and pat dry, render skin of duck until crisp and golden.
  
• 10

  Step 10

  Line roasting dish with tin foil, place mix in dish, place breasts on a cooling rack which is sat in the tray.
  
• 11

  Step 11

  Tightly cover with tin foil to seal – very important. Place over low gas for 5 mins, check for smokiness and if required leave and longer or take out, if further cooking required place into the oven at 180 until 52 deg c, remove and allow to rest under foil until service.
  
• 12

  Step 12

  Root veg terrine. Slice the vegetables on a mandolin, cut to size, layer in mini loaf tins brushing with melted butter and season between layers.
  
• 13

  Step 13

  Bake in the oven until a veg is soft enough that a knife can go through the veg.
  
• 14

  Step 14

  Red cabbage. For the red cabbage , heat a large saucepan over a medium heat, add the butter and red cabbage and sweat for 1-2 minutes, or until just softened.
  
• 15

  Step 15

  Add the wine and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer until the volume has reduced by half. Add the remaining ingredients and bring back to a simmer. Cover and cook for 40-45 minutes, stirring occasionally, until tender.
  
• 16

  Step 16

  Remove the lid, turn the heat to high and cook for a further 5-8 minutes, or until the liquid has evaporated and the red cabbage is slightly sticky and glossy. Season with salt and pepper. Leave to cool slightly then transfer to a blender and blend until smooth.
  
• 17

  Step 17

  Sour cherry sauce. To make the sauce, fry the shallots in a knob of butter until soft.
  
• 18

  Step 18

  Add the rest of the ingredients (apart from the redcurrant jelly) and simmer until it reduces to a syrup.
  
• 19

  Step 19

  Stir in the redcurrant jelly and another knob of butter and cook until the jelly melts and looks glossy.
  
• 20

  Step 20

  Keep in the pan to warm up later.