'Powdering' in old English means curing proteins in salt in order to inject flavours to it as well as preserving it for a longer period of time out of practicality. The brining solution used here is almost mad at a ratio of 15% and I must say I was super nervous about it the first time I have tried it, but it did work. The cured duck meat was nicely infused with all the aromatics from the herbs and spices in brine without being overly salty. This is a recipe that I cooked a few times, including over Christmas for the family and it was a massive hit. This time I attempted to do it for a weeknight dinner and did the various steps over 3 days. If you ever wanted to understand the madness in Heston Blumenthal's mind, this is a good recipe to allow you to have a peek at it. The full original recipe from Heston can be found here, the recipe shared below is what I have adapted and modified for a more practical home cook.
Difficulty: Difficult
Time: Lost count really, but 4-5 hours easily.
Serves: 6
Ingredients
Duck Stock
- 150g white port
- 1kg duck wings
- 3 tbsp duck fat
- 500g plum tomatoes halved
- 350g onion sliced
- 3 star anise
- 350g carrots sliced
- 4 cloves garlic sliced
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds
- 1 tsp black peppercorns
- 3 thyme sprigs
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 tbsp flat leaf parsley stalk
15% Curing Brine
- 2 star anise
- 4 tbsp coriander seeds
- 4 cloves
- 1 tsp allspice
- 3 juniper berries
- 6 garlic cloves
- 2 slices of ginger
- 1/2 orange peel
- 1/2 lemon peel
- 1/4 tsp rosemary
- 1 tsp thyme
- 1 bay leaf
- 225g salt
Sous Vide Duck Breasts
- 6 duck breasts
- oil
Creamy Mashed Potatoes
- 300g Kind Edward potatoes (approx. 2-3 potatoes) whole and unpeeled
- 70g butter
- 1/3 cup milk
- 1/3 cup thick cream
- 1/3 cup Kewpie mayonnaise
- salt
Red Witlof Salad
- 6 red witlof leaves
- 1 tbsp Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
- 6 tbsp olive oil
Duck Sauce
- 1 tsp coriander seeds
- 1/2 tsp of allspice
- 1 juniper berries
- 1 cloves
- 4 tsp honey
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 1 tbsp brandy
- 500g duck stock
- 4 slices of ginger
- 1 bay leaf
Garnish
- fennel fronds
Method
Duck Stock
1. Place the white port in a saucepan over a moderate heat. Carefully flame with a blowtorch and simmer gently to reduce to half.
2. Preheat the oven to 180 degree. Spread the duck wings out evenly on a roasting tray and roast them in the oven for about an hour until they are dark brown but not burnt, turning and checking frequently. Once roasted, deglaze the trays and reserve the roasting juices.
3. Melt the duck fat into a large cast iron pot, add the onions and star anise and cook until the onions have softened. Add the carrots, garlic, coriander seeds and black peppercorns and cook until the carrots have softened. Add the white port, roasted duck carcases, tomatoes and 2 litres of cold water.
4. Bring the stock to a simmer, skimming off any impurities, add the thyme, parsley and bay leaves and cook over low heat for 4+ hours.
Curing Brine
1.Toast the spices in a hot dry pan. Once cooled, crush them finely with a pestle and mortar. Make a secure muslin parcel of garlic cloves, ginger, citrus peel, herbs and the toasted spices, and place it in a saucepan with 1.5lt water and the salt. Bring the saucepan of water to the boil, then remove from the heat. Allow the mixture to cool, then remove and discard the muslin parcel once it has cooled completely.
2. Soak the duck breast in the brining liquid to brine for 2 hours in the fridge. Rinse the duck breasts under cold water for 30 minutes, before draining and patting dry.
Creamy Mashed Potato
1. Cook the whole potatoes unpeeled in a pot of hot water for 45 minutes or until full cooked through. Remove the skin while it's hot and use a potato ricer to crush it. If you want an even smoother texture like I did, pass it through a drum sieve after this. Soften the butter and milk in the microwave at 50% power for 1 minute until it's warm and the butter softened, add it to the potato, then add the cream and mayonnaise. Mix it well to combine into a smooth mashed potato and season to taste with salt.
Cooking Duck Breast
1. Place the duck breasts in individual sous-vide bags and seal under full pressure. Pre-heat a water bath to 57 and cook the duck breasts in the water bath for 60 minutes. Allow them to rest for 10 minutes before removing from the sous-vide bag and patting dry. Pierce the skin with a metal skewer at multiple places careful not to break it. This helps render fat from the skin better.
2. Heat a little oil in a non-stick pan and sear the duck breast skin-side down until golden and fat well rendered. Let it rest and keep warm.
Red Witlof Salad
1. Mix mustard, honey, vinegar, oil, salt and pepper well in a bowl until the dressing is mixed well and well emulsified. Dress the red witlof just before serving.
Duck Sauce
1. Toast the spices in a hot, dry pan. Once cooled, crush them roughly with a pestle and mortar and set aside.
2. In a separate pan, heat the honey over a moderate heat until it turns to a dark caramel. Be careful not to cook the caramel too far. Carefully add the red wine vinegar and brandy and simmer for 1 minute to cook out the alcohol. Stir in the duck stock. Simmer gently until a slightly thicker consistency is reached, then remove from the heat. Add the spices and ginger and allow it to infuse for 15 minutes. Add the bay leaves and continue to infuse for 4 more minutes.
3. Pass the finished sauce through a sieve, set aside and keep warm.
Plating
1. Spoon mashed potato on the plate, top with sliced duck breasts, dressed witloff, fennel fronds for garnish and sauce to finish.
Comments