Roast Duck Breast with Spring Vegetables
Great British Chef Adam Gray gives this roast duck breast a touch of spring by the inclusion of asparagus. You can serve with or without the mashed potato in the image. Recipe courtesy www.greatbritishchefs.com.
Ingredients
Roast duck breast
- 4 Gressingham duck breasts
- salt
- pepper
Duck sauce
- rapeseed oil
- 50g of butter
- 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 1 sprig of fresh thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 300ml of bitter beer
- 500ml of chicken stock
Hispi cabbage and shallots
- 1 Hispi cabbage, finely shredded
- 2 shallots, thinly sliced into rings
- 2 knobs of butter
- salt
- pepper
Seared asparagus
- 12 asparagus spears
- 1 knob of butter
Method
- Heat a small amount of rapeseed oil in a thick bottomed saucepan over a medium heat. Fry the sliced onion, garlic, thyme and bay leaf until golden brown.
- Continue to fry for 2-3 minutes. Then, add the bitter and bring to the boil, cook until reduced by 3/4.
- Add the brown chicken stock, bring to a simmer and reduce again by half. Strain through a fine chinoise. Whisk in the butter and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside until required.
- Bring a large pot of salted water to the boil. Lower in the shredded cabbage and cook until tender - about 3 minutes, strain and set aside.
- Place a thick bottomed saucepan over a medium heat and add the butter. As soon as it begins to foam, add the sliced shallots and sweat in the butter before adding the hot blanched cabbage. Cook for a further 5 minutes and season to taste with salt and pepper.
- Blanch the asparagus in boiling water for 3 minutes until tender, strain and plunge into ice water to refresh. Cut each spear in half lengthways and pan-fry in a little butter until light golden brown. Season with salt and keep in a warm place.
- To cook the duck, preheat the oven to 220°C/gas mark 7. Gently score the skin with a sharp knife. Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper and heat 1 tbsp of rapeseed oil in a roasting tray or ovenproof pan on top of the stove.
- Place the breasts, skin-side down, in the tray and fry over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes, allowing the skin to release fat while turning golden brown. Turn and finish cooking in the oven for 7-8 minutes. Remove from the tray and leave to rest in a warm place for 4 minutes.
- Slice the duck breast to your liking and serve with the warm asparagus, hot cabbage and hot duck sauce.
