Tip: To get a deliciously crunchy and crispy skin on your duck breasts, cook them skin side down in a cold pan on medium heat until they’ve a lovely golden brown colour. Simply flip them and place in the oven to cook for the recommended cooking time skin up – it’s as simple as that!!

Welcome to our September recipe, our chefs have created a real treat for you this month…… A Pan Roasted Duck Breasts with a Roasted Pumpkin Purée, Creamy Mash & a Port & Plum Jus. We’ve mixed all the seasonal ingredients so the dish is extremely fresh and nutritious.

Alas, we’ve come to the end of the summer, but it’s not all bad! There’s some fabulous autumnal flavours to be found at this time of year. This dish, for example, is based upon what’s in season throughout September and into early October. Gorgeous vegetables like pumpkin, cabbage, aubergine and courgette are full of flavour perfect to add to your home cooked meals right now. A variety of fruits such as plums and damsons are in season so keep an eye out for these when you’re picking up your groceries.

With that in mind we have put together a seasonal feast that you can whip up at home! Here’s the ingredients you’re going to need…….

Ingredients:

For the Duck:

• 4 large Duck Breasts, approx. 200g each
• 5g sea salt
• 2g coarse black pepper

For the Purée

• 500g chopped pumpkin, peeled and seeds removed
• 20g rapeseed oil
• 5g sea salt
• 2g coarse black pepper
• 100ml cream
• 40g salted butter

For the mash:

• 800g roosters, peeled
• 10g sea salt
• 150g milk
• 40g butter
• 2g coarse black pepper

For the Jus:

• 80g diced onion
• 3g crushed garlic
• 100g diced plums
• 200g red wine
• 50g ruby port
• 200g duck stock/chicken stock
• 3g sea salt
• 1g coarse black pepper
• 20ml fresh orange juice
• 20g butter
• 2g fresh chopped thyme
• 15g brown sugar

Method:

1. Score the skin on the duck and allow to come to room temperature.
2. Place the potatoes in the salted water and bring to the boil, cook for 20mins or until fork tender, allow to steam dry.
3. Scatter the pumpkin on a baking tray, drizzle over the oil and season, place into a 180C preheated oven for 20mins.
4. Season the duck and place skin side down on a cold, metal handled pan, turn the heat to medium low and render the fat off, draining as necessary until skin is golden and crispy, flip on to the flesh side for 1 minute and place the pan into the oven for 8-10mins depending on your chosen level of doneness.
5. Allow to rest for 5-10mins under tented foil.
6. Drain most of the fat from the duck pan, add the onions, plums & garlic, seasoning and thyme, when the onions are soft, add the sugar, deglaze with the red wine and reduce by half, add the stock and orange juice and reduce by half again, finish with the butter.
7. While the duck is resting, heat the butter and milk, add to the potatoes, season and mash well.
8. Place the pumpkin in a food processor, add cream, butter and seasoning, blitz until smooth and pass through a fine sieve.

Serve and devour!!

Love to Experiment

We’re big into experimentation and keeping up with the latest food trends whether it’s barbecuing or on the streets of London. As chefs, nothing is more satisfying than playing around with different ingredients and flavours to create exciting meals. If there’s anything you have in mind please get in touch with our team, we’d love to hear from you!

Thanks for stopping by and see you next month for another tasty recipe!