Duck Breast with Pickled Mushrooms, Pumpkin Seeds & Peanuts

A little more care and attention when cooking the breast, results in a crispy rich duck which has been complemented with brightly, flavoured pickled mushrooms and earthy tones of pumpkinseeds and peanuts.

Servings
Serves: 2
Prep
10 mins
Cook
45 mins

Ingredients

  • 2 Gressingham duck breasts

Sautéed and pickled mushrooms

  • 25g of sugar
  • 100g of button mushrooms
  • 100g of chestnut mushroom
  • 50g of butter
  • 50ml of water
  • 25ml of sunflower oil
  • 100ml of white vinegar
  • 100g of shiitake mushroom

Pumpkin seeds and peanuts

  • 25g of butter
  • 25ml of sunflower oil
  • 50g of pumpkin seeds
  • 50g of peanuts, salted

Dressing

  • 0.5 tsp of honey
  • 50ml of sunflower oil
  • 0.5 tsp of light soy sauce

Spinach for mushrooms

  • 150g of spinach leaves, picked and washed
  • sea salt

Method

  1. Pre-heat the oven to 200°C/gas mark 6. Start by pickling the mushrooms. Bring the water, vinegar and sugar to the boil, pour over the mushrooms and leave to lightly pickle for 20 minutes.
  2. While the mushrooms are pickling, prepare the duck by trimming off any sinew from the breasts and place skin side down in a hot dry frying pan. Cook for 4 minutes on a medium heat pouring off any fat from the pan as it renders out.
  3. Turn over and cook for a further minute then back on the skin for another 2 minutes. Repeat once more as this will render the fat, crisp the skin and take the breast to medium rare. Remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes in a warm place.
  4. Start the seeds and peanuts. Sauté the pumpkin seeds in oil until puffed up, drain from the pan and place onto absorbent kitchen towel. In the same pan add the butter and roast the peanuts until golden, drain and combine with the pumpkin seeds.
  5. Drain the mushrooms out of the liquid (reserving 1 teaspoon for the dressing) and allow to dry on absorbent kitchen towel. Heat the butter in a large pan and sauté until lightly golden. Add the spinach to the pan to wilt and season to taste with sea salt.
  6. Combine all the ingredients for the dressing, including the mushroom pickling liquid, and taste for seasoning and acidity. Adjust accordingly with more soy, or vinegar to your liking.
  7. To plate, place the duck breast into an oven for 3 minutes to re-heat, spoon the mushroom mix onto the plate, carve the duck breast and season with sea salt, sprinkle the dish with pumpkin seeds and peanuts, drizzle with the dressing and serve

Our Story

The Gressingham duck is a unique breed that first came about when the small but flavourful wild Mallard was crossed with the larger Pekin duck giving a meaty, succulent duck with more breast meat, less fat and a rich gamey flavour.