Ingredients
4 duck legs
1 tbs finely chopped thyme
Micro herbs, to garnish
POTATO GRATIN
125ml thickened cream
25g butter
3 garlic cloves
1 tbs crushed lemon thyme leaves
3 medium sebago potatoes, peeled, thinly sliced
4 tbs grated tasty cheese
4 tbs grated parmesan
BRAISED CABBAGE
2 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, thinly sliced
1 tbs butter
1 garlic clove, crushed
¼ red cabbage, thinly sliced
2 tbs red wine vinegar
75g blackberries, chopped
CAULIFLOWER PUREE
½ cauliflower, cut into small florets
500ml thickened cream
2 tsp butter
BLACKBERRY & PORT JUS
2 tsp olive oil
2 shallots, sliced
1 garlic clove, sliced
75g blackberries
250ml chicken stock
250ml port
2 tbs butter
Method
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Preheat oven to 170C.
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Pat duck skin dry of any moisture and rub all over with salt, pepper, and chopped thyme. Place in a roasting dish.
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Roast for about 1 ½ hours or until meat is tender and skin is crisp, basting with the rendered fat every 20 minutes for the last hour.
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Meanwhile, to prepare potato gratin, lightly grease four holes of a 1/3-cup (80ml) capacity silicone muffin/dessert pan.
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Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over low heat. Add garlic and thyme and cook for 2 minutes. Stir in cream. Remove from heat and add potatoes, tossing to coat.
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Arrange potato mixture in prepared pan holes (trimming slices to fit where necessary,) sprinkling a little tasty cheese between the layers. Cover the pan with foil.
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Bake for about 45 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. Sprinkle with parmesan and bake for a further 10 minutes or until golden brown.
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Meanwhile, to braise cabbage, heat oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots for about 5 minutes or until translucent. Stir in butter and garlic. Stir in cabbage.
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Cook, covered, stirring often, for about 10 minutes or until tender. Stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook, covered, for about 5 minutes or until soft. Season.
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To make cauliflower puree, place cauliflower and cream in a small saucepan over medium heat.
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Cook, covered, stirring often, for about 15 minutes or until cauliflower is soft.
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Strain and set cream aside. Return cauliflower to the same saucepan with butter. Using a stick blender, blend the mixture, adding enough of the reserved cream to form a soft silky puree. Season. Pass through a fine sieve.
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To make the blackberry and port jus, heat oil in medium saucepan over medium heat. Cook shallots for about 10 minutes or until translucent. Stir in garlic.
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Add blackberries and crush with a potato masher or fork. Add stock and port and bring to a boil.
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Reduce heat and simmer on lowest heat, until reduced to form a rich jus. Strain through a fine sieve, pushing down on solids. Discard solids. Season.
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Serve duck, potato gratin, and cauliflower puree with blackberry and port jus. Garnish with micro herbs. And dig in!