Pan-fried duck breast with mulled wine duck pithivier

1. Remove the leg and breast from the carcass. Break down the carcass into smaller pieces (4 to 5 pieces). Roast the carcass in the oven at 200˚c until nicely browned, check after 20 minutes.
2. Mix the cream and milk, thyme and garlic with a pinch of salt and pepper.
3. Peel the potatoes and thinly slice through a mandolin.
4. In a disposable tin tray arrange the potato and then pour over the cream mix. Grate the parmesan over the top.
5. Cover with tin foil and cook in the oven at 200˚c for 30 minutes, then uncover and cook for a further 15 minutes until the potato is tender. Once cooked and cooled portion into two strips.
6. In a saucepan add the red wine vinegar and dark brown sugar, bring to the boil to dissolve the sugar, once dissolved bring to a low simmer
7. De-stalk the cherries and add to the vinegar. Leave to steep for 5 to 10 minutes – make sure the cherry skins don’t burst. Transfer to a vacuum bag and vacuum pack.

Stock

1. Roughly dice the carrot, celery, and onion. In a medium saucepan add a small amount of oil and brown the chopped vegetables.
2. Add the roasted carcass and add enough water to cover.
3. Bring to a simmer and simmer for 30 minutes, skimming every now and then.

Pithivier

1. In a saucepan, reduce the red wine by half, along with the mulled wine spices. De-bone and remove skin from the duck leg. Dice the meat into cubes.
2. Slice the onion. In a sauté pan heat a small amount of oil to hot. Add in the duck leg, season and brown off. Once brown remove from the pan. Lower the heat, add a little more oil and the sliced onion, season, and sauté until softened.
3. Pass the reduced mulled wine into the pan along with the beef stock and rapidly reduce to a syrup consistency.
4. Coat the brown duck in flour and add to the pan. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.
5. Roll out the puff pastry to about 4-5mm. Cut out two 68mm and two 88mm circles. Place a spoonful of the duck into the centre of each 68mm, brush beaten egg around the edges and drape the larger disc over the top. Seal the edges and cut to 68mm using the cutter.
6. Brush with beaten egg. Using a fork crimp the edges to properly seal and score the top with the blunt side of a paring knife. Cook at 200˚c for 20-30 minutes, until the golden brown.
7. Chop the cabbage into strips and blanch.

Jus

1. Finely dice the shallot and sauté in a saucepan, season. Add the madeira and 50mls cherry pickling liqueur and reduce by half.
2. Add 250ml duck stock and reduce until thickened. Remove from the heat, cover and set aside.
3. Heat a non-stick frying pan until very hot, season both sides of the duck breast. Place into the pan, skin side down. Fry until skin is golden and crispy, then turn over and sear the other side.
4. Turn back over, add a knob of butter and place in the oven at 200˚c and cook for 5 minutes – until the centre reaches above 75˚c.
5. While the duck is cooking refresh the pithivier and dauphinoise in the oven until hot.
6. In a sauté pan melt some butter and add the blanched cabbage, season with salt and pepper.
7. Put the madeira jus on the heat and add a small amount of butter, cut some of the pickled cherries in half, de-stone and add to the jus
8. Once the duck is cooked allow to rest on a wire rack, once rested trim the sides and then cut in half.
9. Remove the other components from the oven.
10. On 2 warm plates place a spoonful of cabbage in the centre, spreading it outwards into a sort of crescent shape on the plate. Place a strip of dauphinoise on each plate, slightly off centre, with the cut facing up, the half duck breast so a small part is balancing on the potato. Balance the pithivier on the other end of the potato, place the cherries around and pour the jus into the centre. Serves two people.