Summer duck recipes from Neil Forbes, plus Rose Murray Brown on the best new Scottish gins
Not just a winter warmer, duck is truly a bird for all seasons
Duck doesn’t have to be reserved for winter, it’s great in summer too. The French have been eating duck in some way, shape or form for centuries, whatever the season. They salt duck legs then cook them gently in their own fat before storing in stone jars with cork stoppers in a cool place, and they keep perfectly well. They serve with beans, lentils, bread and any veg that’s available.
I look to my childhood summer holidays in rural south-west France and recall eating confit duck and goose dripping with fat, slightly salty but so delicious. Also, those crisp skinned breasts of duck carved with an ancient bone-handled carving knife and fork set. It was often served with a cherry or sweet orange sauce, something to cut through the richness of that glorious fat that was also used to roast the potatoes and veg alongside lots of thyme, garlic and salt.
I use duck fat, all animal fats actually, as a great-tasting alternative to butter when cooking, especially if the fat has been rendered down from some bones or a previous roast. It would go to waste otherwise and, trust me, it will make your cabbage taste delicious.
Breast of duck with asparagus, radish and new potatoes
One of my first jobs as a young commis chef was to pluck hundreds of game birds after a shoot on the estate I was working on. I looked like something out of Ghostbusters with a Hoover on my back, goggles, and a bandana to protect my mouth from all the dusty feathers. Oh, the fun I had in the plucking shed! This dish is very simple to cook. Make sure you season the meat before, during and after cooking, and crisp the skin by cooking mainly skin-side down in a heavy pan alongside the potatoes with some thyme and garlic. Use whatever veg you like. Kale, spinach or cabbage are all excellent, but remember to use any fat rendered from the duck when you season the veg before serving.
Serves two 2 free-range duck breasts 1 tbsp cold-pressed rapeseed oil 4 to 6 spears of British asparagus, cut into 2 inch pieces 4 to 6 radishes, quartered 4 to 6 new potatoes, little sweet ones are great, scrubbed, par-boiled and halved 2tbspduckfat 1 sprig thyme 1 clove garlic, smashed good salt and pepper 1 Heat the oven to 180C/gas Mark 4. 2 Season the breasts with the salt and pepper. Heat a pan on the hob then add the cold-pressed rapeseed oil and place the breasts skin side down in the pan, ensuring good contact is made. Turn over after cooking for two to three minutes and cook for a further three to four minutes. Then turn the breasts back to skin side down and add the thyme, garlic and potatoes to the pan and place in the oven for eight to ten minutes until the duck is cooked medium rare. The firmer the duck is to the touch, the more well cooked it is.
3 Bring a pan of water to the boil and season with salt. Add the asparagus and cook for two minutes on a rolling boil.
4 Remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the duck breasts to a warm plate to rest. Once rested, season.
5 Add the radishes and the cooked asparagus to the pan with the potatoes in it, and stir in the duck fat. The pan should still be quite hot from the oven.
6 To serve, either slice the duck, or leave them whole as I prefer, and place on a plate with the asparagus, potatoes and radishes as a garnish on top.
Confit duck leg with crowdie, beetroot and leaves
I buy all my ducks from Gartmorn Farm in Alloa as they are unlike any mass produced ducks. The taste is superb, so full-flavoured. And they’re free range, so allowed to roam outside and live a happy life. I like my confit legs to be crisp, so after being submerged in hot duck fat for three to four hours, place the legs under a hot grill to crisp up the skin – it really is the best bit. Flake the meat off the bone and use it in another dish like a cassoulet, a pie or a stew. I would always recommend using star anise in the salting process, it adds a wonderful flavour.
Serves four 4 free-range duck legs, try a farmers’ market to buy them 150g coarse sea salt 50g dark brown sugar 2 to 3 star anise 2 to 3 sprigs of thyme ½ a head of garlic, smashed with the side of your knife 1 litre duck fat 4 peppercorns 2 bay leaves 4 tbsp crowdie cheese 1 red beetroot, boiled for three hours and peeled 1 candy beetroot boiled for three hours and peeled ½ red onion 2 handfuls of a mixed salad leaves, like rocket and watercress a drizzle of good extra-virgin olive oil 1 tsp Arran mustard 1 tbsp cider vinegar 1 tsp honey good salt and pepper to taste
1 Place the duck legs in a plastic tub and rub the coarse salt and sugar all over so it coats them entirely. Then add a bay leaf, half the thyme, garlic, peppercorns and star anise to the tub and cover with cling film or a lid and leave in the fridge for 6 to 8 hours to cure and season.
2 Next, remove the legs from the cure and rinse carefully under the cold tap to remove all the salt and sugar. Pat dry on a tea towel. Retain the garlic. 3 Heat the oven to 140C/gas Mark 3. 4 Heat the duck fat on the hob, either in a pot or an oven-proof tray big enough to take the legs and fat together. Once hot, submerge the legs in the fat then add the other bay leaf, the remaining thyme and a few garlic cloves retained from the curing. Immediately transfer the pot or tray to the oven and cook for three to four hours until the legs are cooked and the meat is almost falling off the bone.
5 Remove from the oven and allow to cool before removing the legs from the fat. Once cooled, place the legs under a hot grill for four to five minutes until skin is crisp and golden.
6 Prepare the salad by dicing the cooked beetroot and slicing the onion thinly. Make a dressing by mixing the vinegar, honey, mustard, and a drizzle
of extra-virgin olive oil. Season and mix well.
To serve, place the duck in the centre of a plate and arrange salad leaves, beetroot and onion with dollops of crowdie it. Then drizzle with the dressing to finish.
Cherry sauce
I really enjoy making sauces as they can transform a dish. Cherries are a great partner for duck as the sweet fruit cuts through the richness of the meat. A stock made from chicken and duck carcasses is crucial for giving body to the sauce, and ultimately a good flavour. I use a good cherry brandy in the reduction and some orange peel, but play with different things like thyme, bay or star anise. And if you can, buy British cherries.
Serves four to six
2 duck carcasses, roasted 2 chicken carcasses, roasted 2 carrots, peeled and roughly chopped 2 sticks of celery, washed and roughly chopped 1 large onion, peeled and roughly chopped 1tbspduckfat 1 tbsp tomato purée 2 bay leaves a few sprigs of thyme 2 cloves of garlic peel from 1 orange and the juice 75ml cherry brandy 75ml red wine 1 shallot, finely sliced 1 tbsp redcurrant jelly 12 cherries, stoned a few knobs of butter
Fry the carrot, celery and onion in the duck fat at a high temperature until golden brown. This will take a while, and don’t worry if it looks like it’s catching and burning, just add a dollop of tomato purée and give it a good mix. Once the vegetables are browned, add the bay leaf, thyme and garlic and mix well.
Add the well-roasted bones to the pot, cover with water and bring to the boil. Simmer for two to three hours, skimming off any fats or impurities that may rise to the top.
In another large clean pot, add the sliced shallot and cook on a medium heat on the hob with a tiny amount of duck fat. When nicely browned, add the cherry brandy, red wine, redcurrant jelly, a sprig of thyme and the orange peel. Bring this mix to the boil and cook until it has a jam like consistency.
Strain the duck stock, add to the jam and reduce on a rolling boil for about an hour until about 250-300ml is left in the pot. Pass this sauce through a sieve into a clean pan and gently bring to a simmer, skimming off any impurities, then reduce again by about a third. By this stage, the sauce should look rich and dark.
Add the cherries and taste – it may need a little seasoning. Finally, whisk in a few knobs of butter just before serving. Ensure everyone gets a few cherries.