Culinary Masterclass - Fowl Play
In which Aaron walked us through jointing a duck, using the carcass pieces to make a rich wine jus, and preparing the breasts for pan-frying.
Served with simply sautéed potatoes.
To joint a duck or chicken into 4 pieces:
Which of course the British then got to properly rename duck a l'orange.
So this dish is like that. But with plums.
Served with simply sautéed potatoes.
To joint a duck or chicken into 4 pieces:
- Remove the wishbone - make a small v-shaped cut around the bone to help.
- Remove the wingtips and discard.
- Separate the leg from the body with the thigh attached.
- Remove the backbone from the crown at this stage if you like, and discard.
- Carefully cut, then scrape the breast supremes (wing joint still attached) from either side of the breastbone and remove.
Which of course the British then got to properly rename duck a l'orange.
So this dish is like that. But with plums.
menu
Duck à les Plums
Pan-Seared Duck with Roasted Plums
Pan-Seared Duck with Roasted Plums
A fruity duck.
Pan Jus
Waste not, want not gravy.
Sautéed Potatoes
Child's play!
Pan Seared Duck with Roasted Plums
main fowl
This dish roasts plum halves - giving the cut surface a nicely caramelised finish, but they are rather chunky.
As an alternative you could slice the plum halves and fan them out when serving with the similarly sliced duck.
You know, for style points.
Though you might want something on your plate that isn't just brown 🙄.
As an alternative you could slice the plum halves and fan them out when serving with the similarly sliced duck.
You know, for style points.
Though you might want something on your plate that isn't just brown 🙄.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts
- 2 plums
- 2 tblsps olive oil
- 1 sprig rosemary
- 2 knobs of butter
- 4 tblsps caster sugar
- splash of water
Optional Garnish:- chives, finely chopped
Trim the duck breasts - removing any tendons or papery silverskin from the flesh side and tidying the skin.
Cut a diamond pattern into the skin without cutting into the flesh underneath.
Add a splash or two of water and the rosemary and bubble until the water is absorbed, then add a large knob of butter and baste the plums until they're cooked through.
Tender, but not soft.
Turn the plums cut-side up and leave in the buttery caramel until ready to serve.
Allow the skin to render and nicely brown while the flesh cooks about half-way through, pouring off excess fat as you go.
Turn the breast over, add a fat knob of butter, some herbs and garlic too, if you like, then baste, baste, baste until the breast is cooked through.
Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and garnishing with minced chives (if you like) to serve.
Cut a diamond pattern into the skin without cutting into the flesh underneath.
If the plums are ripe, they should pop out easily.
Heat a frying pan, lightly oil it, then place in the plum halves cut-side down.
Fry until they take on a nice colour, then scatter over the sugar and cook until it caramelises, without burning.Add a splash or two of water and the rosemary and bubble until the water is absorbed, then add a large knob of butter and baste the plums until they're cooked through.
Tender, but not soft.
Turn the plums cut-side up and leave in the buttery caramel until ready to serve.
Feel free to perk up the plums (or the sauce you'll be using) with a dash of star anise, or Chinese five-spice powder.
Meanwhile place the duck breasts skin-side down in a cold dry frying pan and put over a medium heat.Allow the skin to render and nicely brown while the flesh cooks about half-way through, pouring off excess fat as you go.
Turn the breast over, add a fat knob of butter, some herbs and garlic too, if you like, then baste, baste, baste until the breast is cooked through.
Leave to rest for 5-10 minutes before slicing and garnishing with minced chives (if you like) to serve.
Good duck!
Pan Jus
fowl sauce
Basically an enhanced quick duck stock.
If you don't feel like making a stock after you've just jointed a bird, freeze the carcass pieces and do it later.
Serves 2
Ingredients
- chicken carcass pieces
- 1 carrot
- ½ onion
- wood herbs thyme, rosemary, etc
- 200ml red (or possibly white) wine
- 300ml water
- 1 tblsps beef stock paste
Heat the bits of chicken carcass in a dry saucepan until it colours. Turn the pieces and repeat.
Roughly chop the vegetables and add them to the pan. Allow them to caramelize too.
De-glaze the pan with the wine and reduce it by half to cook off the alcohol, leaving only the sweetness of the wine.
Add the beef stock paste and the water.
Skim off any oil or fat and reduce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon or you can drag a line through it.
Set aside until required.
Roughly chop the vegetables and add them to the pan. Allow them to caramelize too.
De-glaze the pan with the wine and reduce it by half to cook off the alcohol, leaving only the sweetness of the wine.
Add the beef stock paste and the water.
Obviously ideally you'd have some stock you made earlier.
Reduce this again by half then pass through a sieve into a clean pan.Skim off any oil or fat and reduce until it thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon or you can drag a line through it.
Set aside until required.
As mentioned above, if you're serving as a sauce with plum duck, you could throw in a star anise with the vegetables,
or brighten the sauce at the end with a pinch of Chinese five-spice.
Sautéed Potatoes
side staple veg vegan
Serves 2Ingredients
- 6 even-sized new potatoes
- oil
- butter optional
Par-boil the unpeeled potatoes until tender but not soft. About 10 minutes.
Drain them and allow them to steam dry, then halve them lengthways.
Oil a frying pan and scatter with salt. Place the potatoes in cut-side down and fry until golden. You can add a knob of butter to enrich them now if you like.
Set aside until required.
Drain them and allow them to steam dry, then halve them lengthways.
Oil a frying pan and scatter with salt. Place the potatoes in cut-side down and fry until golden. You can add a knob of butter to enrich them now if you like.
Set aside until required.
Personally I like salting the heck out of it, which really enhances its flavour.
Incidentally - when salting, do so from a great height or distance so that the salt gets evenly distributed over your target surfaces.