Glazed Spiced Mallard with an Orange and Blackberry sauce, Turnips and Cavalo Nero

Wild duck doesn’t come much finer, and is much leaner than it’s farmed counterparts. This dish brings subtle spicing, sweetness and sharp fruit flavours for the perfect balance. Served with earthy Cavalo Nero, Turnips, and mash.

The legs are removed and cooked as a confit, this is an essential step which ensures that the breast and leg meat are both perfectly cooked and tender at the same time, as the legs require lower slower cooking than the breast, which is best hot roasted and served pink.

Serves 2

Used in this recipe

Mallard Duck, Wild (550g)

£9.95 £1.24/100gRead more

Beech Ridge Free Range Whole Duck (2.0kg-2.5kg)

£29.45 £1.47/100gSelect options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page

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Ingredients

1 x Dorset Meat Company Mallard Duck (800g)
180g Dorset Meat Company Goose fat
2 Cloves of garlic, peeled
2 sprigs of thyme

For the sauce

1 orange
4 Juniper berries, crushed
2 shallots
1 small carrot
100ml red wine
1 knob of butter

For the glaze

50ml honey
2 slices of orange rind, peeled with a potato peeler
4 juniper berries, crushed
1 Star Anise
15ml (3 teaspoons) balsamic vinegar

4 small turnips, halved
200g Cavalo Nero

Method

First, prepare the legs for confit. Carefully trim the legs from the bird. Place these in a small pan, and cover with the goose fat, ensuring it is fully covered. Add the garlic cloves, and 1 sprig of thyme. Bring up to 85°C, no more (use a cooking thermometer for this), then transfer to an oven proof dish with a lid, and confit at 85°C for 2 hours. It is important not to exceed this temperature or the meat will become dry.
Now prepare the sauce. Slice the shallots finely, and grate the carrot. Add the juniper and thyme, and fry gently in butter until soft. Add the wine, and reduce, then add the stock, and continue to simmer until it reaches a sauce like consistency. Pass through a sieve, then set aside.
Prepare the glaze, by adding all the ingredients in a pan, and then bringing to the boil. Once boiling, immediately remove from the heat, and allow to infuse.
After 2 hours, remove the confit legs, and set aside. Crush the garlic from the confit, and add to the sauce. Now increase the oven temperature to 180°C.
Season the duck body well, then fry skin side down in a hot pan, rolling the bird with your hands to ensure the skin crisps evenly, and the fat begins to render. Baste with butter thoroughly. Place the duck breast side up in a casserole dish or tin, and roast in the oven for 20 minutes, checking the temperature of the breast reaches 52°C.
While the duck roasts, prepare your mashed potato and keep watm. Cook the turnips in salted boiling water, and when nearly cooked, add the cavalo nero, and blanch until soft drain the water, and toss in butter, then separate the turnip and cavalo for serving.
Warm through the sauce.
Check the duck, and baste the breast with the glaze. Return to the oven for 5-10 minutes, adding the duck legs to warm through. Watch carefully to ensure the glaze doesn’t burn. Remove from oven then rest for 10 minutes, glaze the breasts again, and carve the breasts from the duck to serve with the sauce, turnips, mash and cavalo nero.

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