RECIPE 04: SECOND HELPINGS - WINTER

This recipe is a real winter warmer. Probably more of a dinner party dish rather than a weeknight treat. The preparation may seem a little overwhelming as the duck & quince take time to gently cook. But the reward is worth the wait. The duck & quince components can be done ahead of time or even days before for an easy stress

4x Duck Marylands (legs)

• 2 Cloves Garlic – bruised

• 2 Eschalot - sliced

• 1 Carrot - Diced

• 3 Medjool Dates – pitted and halved

• 1 Orange - peel the zest and then halve & juice

• 1 Tbsp Coriander Seed

• 2 Cloves

• 1 x Cinnamon stick

• 1/2 Tsp Saffron

• 1 Tbsp White Peppercorn

• 3 x Star Anise 

• 100g Pomegranate Molasses

• 1 x glass Red Wine

• 1.5 L Chicken Stock

• 200g reduced Veal Stock

• Sprig of Rosemary &Thyme

  Heat a cast-iron Dutch oven with cooking oil. Season the duck legs with salt & pepper & sear in the pan on high heat — both sides to achieve a nice golden colour. Remove from the pan and set aside. Sautee the shallot & garlic for 3-5 mins on medium heat, allowing them to sweat. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the spices & herbs, dates, orange peel & juice, molasses, stock and bring to a simmer. Place the legs into the simmering stock and season with salt. Pop this into the oven with the lid on at 140 °C for approx. 2 hours. Once the duck is tender and falling off the bone, allow to cool with the lid off. 

If preparing days before, store in the fridge as is - in the stock once at room temp. Reheating is easily done by popping back into the oven at 160 °C for 15 -20 mins.

Quince 

This is a preservation recipe, so can be done days, weeks or months in advance. Make in bulk during quince season, and, if stored correctly, can last the whole year.  

• 1kg Quinces

• 750g Raw Sugar

• 250ml Water 

• 2 Bay Leaves

• 1 Lemon - peel & juice

• 2 Star Anise

• 1 x Cinnamon Stick

• 3 Cloves

  Pop the sugar & water into a pot and bring to a simmer. Peel the quinces and reserve the peel. Place the peel into a muslin bag with the spices and tie up with string. Place the quinces and the bag of peel & aromatics into an oven-safe pot with a lid / braising dish or Dutch oven. You may need to weigh down the quinces with a sheet of baking paper and a plate, so they stay submerged. Cook in the oven at 80 °C for 10 – 12 hours, overnight is fine. The house will fill with the sweet smell of quince. In the morning, remove the lid to find your yellow quinces have turned a lovely purple colour in the sweet, spicy syrup. Carefully remove the bag of aromatics and squeeze out the syrup and discard. Store the quinces in an airtight container or jar. To serve, cut them in half, scoop out the core and gently warm in the oven on parchment paper for 10 mins at 160 °C.

Black Beluga Lentils & Carrots

I wanted to serve lentils with this dish as it’s a classic combo, but also gluten free. I found these beautiful Black beluga lentils at Empower Wholefoods, and they were delish. 

Take 150g lentils, rinse and cover with 4x water and bring to a simmer on the stove (no salt). Gently cook for approx. 30 mins until tender. Keep an eye on them - overcooked and mushy lentils are not nice. A little bite, just like risotto, is perfect. Strain and cool. 

Strain 4 ladles of the warm duck stock through a fine strainer and reserve.

Peel 2 carrots & half lengthways then trim into halves. In a frying pan, add EVOO, a sprinkle of sea salt and place the carrots flat side down into the pan on a high heat. Once the carrots are generously browned in the pan, add the duck stock and simmer on the stove for approx. 10 mins until the stock is reduced and the carrots are tender. Add the lentils into this carrot & duck gravy and season with salt if needed (and EVOO). 

To plate up the dish, pop a spoon of the lentils onto a bowl or plate with a few pieces of carrot. Remove the hot duck leg from its braising liquor and place on top. Pop the poached sweet quince on the side and garnish with a bitter green leaf – endive, witlof, chickory or even radicchio. I foraged some dandelion and dressed with some Banyuls vinegar from our trip to France and EVOO, but any nice finishing vinegar — red or white — would be fab. 

Enjoy!