DUCK WITH CRÊPES AND CELERIAC RÉMOULADE
This is the Giffords version of Chinese crispy duck with pancakes, and it’s rather moreish. The brining is very important here for both flavour and crispiness.
SERVES 6
1 x 2kg duck
100ml honey
Sea salt and white pepper
FOR THE BRINE
1ltr apple juice
100g black treacle
100g dark brown sugar
150g salt
3 garlic cloves, crushed
3 star anise
FOR THE CRÊPES
200g plain flour 1tsp salt
2 eggs
470ml whole milk
FOR THE PLUM SAUCE
200g plums, stoned
60g caster sugar
1tsp ground cinnamon
FOR THE RÉMOULADE
1 celeriac
100g mayonnaise
1tbsp Dijon mustard
1tbsp wholegrain mustard Squeeze of lemon juice
1 Put all the ingredients for the brine into a pan and bring to the boil, then pour into a large, deep bowl and leave to cool. Once cold, immerse the duck in it and refrigerate for 1–2 days, turning every so often.
2 Preheat the oven to 140C. Remove the duck from the brine, pat dry with kitchen paper and sit on a wire rack in a deep roasting tray. Cover tightly with foil and roast for 3hrs.
3 Meanwhile, make the batter for the crêpes. Combine the flour and salt in a bowl. Whisk together the eggs and milk, then slowly whisk into the flour. Rest in the fridge for at least 30mins.
4 For the plum sauce, put all the ingredients and 100ml water in a pan and simmer gently for 15mins or until the plums are soft. Mash to a rough purée.
5 For the rémoulade, peel the celeriac, then either grate it or use a knife or mandoline to cut it into very thin strips. Place in a colander, salt lightly and mix well, then leave for 15mins. Use your hands to squeeze out the moisture, then tip the celeriac into a bowl. Stir in the mayo, mustards and lemon juice.
6 Increase the oven to 210C. Remove the foil and baste the duck. Pour the rest of the juices from the tray into a small pan and set aside. Season the duck, then roast for 20–30mins, until wonderfully crisp.
7 Add the honey to the roasting juices and simmer for 10–15mins until reduced to a syrupy glaze.
8 Now bash out as many pancakes as you can from the batter. Heat a drizzle of vegetable oil in a nonstick frying pan and cook each pancake briefly on both sides over a medium heat.
9 Paint the duck with the honey glaze, then jam a couple of forks into it, ready to shred the crisp skin and tender meat. Serve with a stack of crêpes, the rémoulade and the plum sauce.