Roast and confit wild duck with Bramley apple and five-spice chutney
INGREDIENTS
(serves four)
2 wild ducks
Rock salt
Thyme
Goose fat
Oil
80g brown sugar
50ml water
6g grated ginger
Chilli
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1 Bramley apple, peeled and diced
50ml wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
300ml veal stock
25g butter
METHOD
Preheat oven to 200ºC.
Remove the legs from the duck, and bone out the thigh bone. Place them on rock salt and thyme for six hours and wipe clean. Simmer the legs in goose fat for two to three hours and then allow to cool.
Meanwhile, prepare the crowns. Salt the crowns both inside and out. Fry the bird's breast facing down in a pan in a little oil to get some colour into the skins.
Transfer the birds to an oven pan and roast for 15-20 minutes in a very hot oven.
Remove the crowns and stand in a warm place for 15-20 minutes so the meat continues to improve.
As the bird is roasting, make the sauce. Dissolve the sugar in water in a pan over a high heat, cooking it to a caramel. Add the ginger, chilli, garlic and apple and cook until the apple is soft.
In a separate pan, boil the vinegar until it is reduced by half, then stir into the sauce mixture. Cook until the flavours are blended smoothly, adding salt and pepper to taste. Add the veal stock to the vinegar mixture, heat through and adjust the flavourings. Stir in the butter to give the stock a silky sheen.
Cut off the breasts and slice into two. If the skin is pale, return them to a hot pan, skin-side down, to crisp up swiftly. When you are ready to assemble dish, dry off the legs and place in a hot pan until crispy.
