Ingredients

Serves 2

2 duck breasts
2 g sea salt
1 sprig rosemary
1 g cracked black pepper
50 ml red wine
200 ml duck stock (see below)
10 ml sherry vinegar
5 ml extra virgin olive oil

Duck Stock:
(Makes 1 litre)
1 duck carcass
2 onions, peeled and halved
1 leek, cleaned and cut into large round pieces
1 carrot, peeled and cut into large round pieces
100g celery, cut into large round pieces
1 litre red wine
5 litres  water
2 garlic cloves (whole)

Blueberry and shallot compote:
40 ml olive oil
100g golden shallots
10 ml sherry vinegar
100 ml port wine
50 g diced Granny Smith apple
10 g orange zest, blanched
50g fresh blueberries

 

Chocolate Truffle Mousse
100 ml water
100g sugar
100g glucose
12g leaf gelatine
15 ml Brandy
500g dark couverture callets
750g whipped cream

Method

Crispy Duck Breast with Blueberry and Shallot Compote, Sherry Vinegar Duck Jus

To prepare the duck, marinate duck breast with rosemary, sea salt and black pepper, set aside for 30 minutes.
Heat fry pan to medium heat.
Place the breast and fry skin side down for approximately 8 minutes until the fat runs and the skin is crispy.
Pour off the fat as it is produced. Turn the duck breasts and briefly cook the other side.
Remove from pan and set aside to rest in warm place.
To make the sauce, deglaze the pan with red wine and duck stock and reduce to half.
Add sherry vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.
Serve with blueberry and shallot compote.

For duck stock
Chop the duck carcass into several pieces and roast for 20 minutes in a preheated 180º oven.
In a large stock pot, sauté the vegetables with olive oil until caramelized.
When the duck carcass is golden brown, add into the stockpot with the vegetables.
Add  water to stockpot.
Deglaze the roasting pan with the red wine and put the reduction into the stock pot.
Simmer for 2 hours, skimming off any impurities that rise to the top
Strain through muslin cloth

For blueberry and shallot compote
To make the blueberry compote, heat the olive oil in pan, add shallots and cook until lightly coloured.
Add sherry vinegar, port wine and continue cooking for 5-10 minutes or until mostly tender.
Add in grated apple and orange zest and cook through.
Add blueberries at last moment, do not overcook

 

 

Chocolate Truffle Mousse

Place water, sugar and glucose in saucepan and bring to boil.
In the meantime, soak gelatine leaves in cold water.
Whip cream to a very soft peak.
Squeeze out gelatine and add to boiling sugar syrup. Stir until dissolved.
Pour mixture on top of couverture callets (or chocolate chips) and mix on low speed until chocolate is dissolved, add Brandy at this stage.
Pour hot chocolate mixture into soft whipped cream and mix quickly.
Let the chocolate mousse set in the fridge before piping.

Alternatively, this mousse can be used for setting in mould or rings to shape a cake or dessert.