Ingredients
(Serves four)
For the oatmeal crust
40g oatmeal
2g black pepper, coarsely ground
20g honey
1 whole barbary duck
Little oil for roasting
Seasoning
2tbs honey
For the parsnip purée
2 parsnips
100ml cream
30g butter
Salt and pepper
For the cherry jus
Duck trimmings, without skin
10g vegetable oil
100ml port
100ml chicken stock
50ml cherry jus
20g butter
Salt and pepper
Corn flour (optional)
For the potato and duck confit pierogi
2 potatoes, about 150g each
1 egg yolk
80g flour
4 coriander leaves, chopped
Duck leg meat confit
30ml duck sauce, reduced
Clarified butter for frying
For the Savoy cabbage balls (makes about eight)
1 Savoy cabbage
50g butter
Water or vegetable stock
Salt and pepper
For garnish
4 cherries, tinned
Lemon zest mixed with honey
1tbs honey
Method
For the oatmeal crust, lightly toast the oats and mix with a little cracked black pepper.
To prepare the roasted barbary duck, take the breasts off the bone and trim. With a very sharp knife or razor blade make tiny incisions in the fat, taking care not to damage the meat (this will help to get a crisp skin as the fat is released). In a hot pan with a little oil, fry the seasoned duck breast, mostly on the skin side, so that the result is a beautiful pink duck with a crisp skin. Brush the duck with a little honey and sprinkle the spiced oat crust on top. Cut lengthways in half and serve half a breast per portion.
To make the parsnip purée, peel and boil the parsnips in lightly salted water until tender, then drain. Place in a food processor and purée till fine. When serving, add the cream and butter and adjust seasoning - the consistency should be very light and creamy.
For the cherry jus, roast off the duck trimmings in a little hot oil until golden brown, deglaze with the port and reduce. Add the chicken stock and reduce to required flavour and consistency (if necessary, thicken with a little corn flour). The sauce should be concentrated in flavour. Add the cherry juice, season and whisk in the cold butter.
To prepare the duck and potato pierogi, chop the duck leg meat finely and quickly fry in hot pan and deglaze with some of the duck sauce - it should have the consistency of a chutney - then chill. Boil the peeled potatoes in lightly salted water until just tender, then drain. Keep them on the stove for one minute so that any excess steam will evaporate, then pass through a ricer. Mix in the egg, sieved flour and chopped coriander. Adjust seasoning. Weigh out four portions of 40g of this potato mix and shape into balls. With your finger, make a little indentation and place some of the duck filling inside. Shape this into a rectangular shape, pressing all sides down and mark with the back of the knife. Place these in boiling water for one minute until they rise to the top. Take them out and dry. Now fry them golden-brown in butter.
To make the lemon zest confit, peel the lemon skin with a peeler, avoiding the white pith. Cut into very fine julienne. Place in cold water and bring to the boil. Repeat this process two more times. Finally, drain and mix the lemon julienne with a little honey and set aside.
To prepare the cabbage balls, reserve four not too dark leaves of the Savoy cabbage and cook in boiling water until tender. Refresh in ice water. Cut the rest of the Savoy cabbage into fine julienne and quickly sauté in butter and a little water until tender. Adjust seasoning. Now place some of this mix into the cabbage leaves and shape in clingfilm to perfect balls. Reheat these to order over steam or in simmering water.
To serve, place a nice teardrop shape of the parsnip purée on the plate. Arrange the duck breast with the oatmeal crust on top at a slight angle. Sit the cabbage ball and the potato pierogi on either side and drizzle some of the cherry jus around. Garnish with a small cherry and lemon zest confit.
By Eyck Zimmer, executive head chef at the Lowry hotel, Manchester