Pan-fried Duck with Blackberry Jus and Pistachio Crust on a Parsnip Nest.
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Time and Servings
Serves:4
Preparation Time: 1.5 hours
Cooking Time: 1.5 hours
Ingredients
INGREDIENTS
Parsnip Puree
500g parsnips
2 cloves garlic, sliced
¾ cup cream
1 Tbsp butter
½ tsp salt
Blackberry Jus
1 Tbsp olive oil
½ onion, finely chopped
2 gloves garlic, roughly chopped
4 sprigs thyme
½ cup blackberries (fresh or frozen)
¼ cup port (or red wine)
500ml good quality chicken stock
1 orange
½ Tbsp butter
Pistachio Crumb
2 Tbsp butter
½ cup pistachios, shelled and roughly chopped
⅓ cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tsp sugar
½ tsp salt
Charred Onion Petals
3 baby onions
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
½ Tbsp butter
¼ tsp salt
4 sprigs thyme
Crispy Parsnip Nest
1 large parsnip
500ml frying oil
½ tsp salt
Duck
4 x duck breasts
1 tsp salt
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 Tbsp butter
To garnish:
Nasturtium leaves
Method
Parsnip Puree
Peel and roughly chop the parsnips into small pieces. Place them in a pot with the garlic and cream.
Put the pot on the stove top over a medium-low heat. Allow to simmer gently for about 20 minutes, until the parsnips are tender.
Strain out the cream, reserving it for blending. Put the cooked parsnips into a blender with half of the reserved cream, the butter and salt. Blend on medium until smooth. If it gets stuck, add more cream a tablespoon at a time, ensuring not to add to much. Adjust seasoning to taste if necessary.
Keep warm until plating.
Blackberry Jus
Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat. Add the onions, garlic and thyme. Saute slowly until soft and golden. Add the blackberries and allow to cook, squashing them as you go, for about 5 minutes, until they’ve released all their juice.
Turn up the heat and add the port. Allow to simmer and reduce until thick.
Add the chicken stock and juice of one orange. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to a slow simmer.
Allow to simmer until reduced by about half. Then strain and discard all of the bits. Put the jus into a clean saucepan. Allow to cook down until you have your desired consistency and taste, then season to taste with salt and sugar.
Just before serving, bring to a simmer and whisk in the butter until melted and glossy.
Pistachio Crumb
Heat the butter in a pan over a medium heat.
Once melted, add the pistachios, panko breadcrumbs, sugar and salt. Saute gently until the breadcrumbs are golden. Remove from the heat and keep aside.
Charred Onion Petals
Preheat the oven to 190C.
Slice the onion in half lengthways so they are still attached at the stalk. Leave the skin on.
Heat the oil in a pan over a high heat. Once hot, add half the butter and salt. Carefully place the onion flat side down in the pan. Place a heavy pan on top to press the onions down. Allow them to cook until blackened.
Remove the onions from the pan and place them in a roasting dish with the other half of the butter and thyme. Place in the oven and allow to roast for 20 minutes, until the onions are just cooked, but still hold their shape.
Remove from the oven and allow to cool. Peel the petals apart, keeping the best 12 for plating.
Crispy Parsnip Nest
Peel the parsnip and slice into very fine match sticks. The best way to do this is using a mandolin.
Heat the oil in a pot over a medium heat. Test the heat with a small pinch of parsnip. It should go golden slowly and evenly.
Drop the parsnip sticks in the oil and fry until golden and crispy.
Remove from the oil and drain on paper towel. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt.
Duck Breasts
Score the duck beasts skin, not flesh, in a cross-hatch pattern, about 1cm apart.
Sprinkle the salt over the duck skin and rub it in. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, this helped to release excess liquid.
Then pat the duck breasts dry.
Put the oil into a large pan followed by the duck breasts, skin side down.
Place the pan with duck breasts in, onto a medium-high heat on the stove top. Allow the duck breasts to sizzle in the pan pressing them down occasionally, allowing the fat to render away. Tip out the excess fat as you go.
Do this until most of the fat has rendered and the skin is beautiful and crispy.
Flip the duck breasts skin-side up with the knob of butter, and allow them to cook for about 3 minutes (for medium rare). Remove from the pan and allow to rest.
After resting, top and tail the duck breast at an angle. Then slice them down the center at an angle.
Plating
Spoon some of the puree just off center of the plate, and use the back of a spoon to smear it in a half circle. Add a spoonful of the pistachio crumb next to it. Place one piece of duck leaning on the pistachio crumb, and the other next to it.
Place the onion petals around the duck. Place a small handful of the crispy parsnip nest on the plate, and garnish with nasturtium leaves.
Serve the jus on the side in a jug.
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