Natalie Coleman's pan-roasted duck breast recipe

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Natalie Coleman's pan-roasted duck breast recipe

MasterChef Natalie's duck breast comes with mini fondant potatoes, carrot, cumin purée and a red Port jus.

Ingredients

For the fondant potatoes
  • 4 even-sized large Desiree potatoes
  • 1 large knob of unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • 250 ml chicken stock (or duck stock if you have it)
  • 4 even-sized large Desiree potatoes
  • 1 large knob of unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • 8.8 fl oz chicken stock (or duck stock if you have it)
  • 4 even-sized large Desiree potatoes
  • 1 large knob of unsalted butter
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 sprig of thyme
  • 1 large garlic clove, crushed
  • 1.1 cups chicken stock (or duck stock if you have it)
For the carrot and cumin purée
  • 4 carrots, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch of ground cumin
  • 4 carrots, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch of ground cumin
  • 4 carrots, cut into 2cm pieces
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 1 pinch of ground cumin
For the duck breasts
  • 4 large duck breasts
  • 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled), crushed
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 4 large duck breasts
  • 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled), crushed
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
  • 4 large duck breasts
  • 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled), crushed
  • 4 sprigs of thyme
For the red port jus
  • 100 ml port
  • 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 200 ml chicken stock
  • 25 g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
  • 3.5 fl oz port
  • 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 7 fl oz chicken stock
  • 0.9 oz unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
  • 0.4 cup port
  • 3 tbsp redcurrant jelly
  • 2 shallots, roughly chopped
  • 2 sprigs of thyme
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • 0.8 cup chicken stock
  • 0.9 oz unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
  • 1 pinch salt and pepper to taste
To garnish
  • 1 cup growing pea shoots
  • 1 cup micro red amaranth
  • 1 cup growing pea shoots
  • 1 cup micro red amaranth
  • 1 cup growing pea shoots
  • 1 cup micro red amaranth

Details

  • Cuisine: French
  • Recipe Type: Main
  • Difficulty: Medium
  • Preparation Time: 25 mins
  • Cooking Time: 60 mins
  • Serves: 4

Step-by-step

  1. For the fondant potatoes. Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Peel the potatoes and cut out two cylinders from each one using a 5cm metal cutter (you want eight cylinders in total). Neaten the top and bottom with a knife so they are flat. Heat an ovenproof frying pan and melt the butter with the oil. Add the potatoes and colour them all over – top and bottom and on the sides; use tongs to turn them. Add the thyme, garlic and stock to the pan. Cover with a cartouche (a circle of buttered greaseproof paper that will cover the pan completely) and transfer to the oven.
  2. Cook for 40-45 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through; halfway through the cooking, baste the potatoes with the stock so the tops don’t dry out (then replace the cartouche). Make the other elements of the dish while the potatoes are in the oven.
  3. For the carrot and cumin purée. Cook the carrots in a pan of boiling water until tender. Drain and place in a blender with the olive oil, cumin and some salt and pepper. Blend for 4-5 minutes or until very smooth. Spoon into a saucepan and set aside, ready to reheat for serving.
  4. For the duck breasts. Score the skin on the duck breasts, without cutting into the flesh. Season both sides of each breast. Place the breasts skin side down in a cold non-stick frying pan (starting in a cold pan will render the fat slowly). Set on the heat and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the skin has a good colour and is crisp.
  5. Add the garlic cloves and thyme and turn the breasts over. Reduce the heat and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn the breasts on to the skin side again and cook for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes, then turn once more and cook on the skin side for a final 2 minutes. The total cooking time will be 18 minutes. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and leave to rest in a warm place for 5-7 minutes while you make the jus.
  6. For the red port jus. Remove the garlic and thyme from pan (discard these) and skim off excess fat. Deglaze the frying pan with the port, then add the redcurrant jelly and whisk until melted. Add the shallots, thyme sprigs, garlic and stock to the pan. Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Pass through a sieve into a saucepan. Gradually whisk in the butter and season to taste. Keep warm.
  7. To serve. Make a line of carrot purée on each plate. Cut each duck breast into four slices and arrange in a criss-cross line on the other side of the plate, with a fondant potato at each end. Drizzle a little jus over the duck and garnish with some pea shoots. Garnish the carrot purée with red amaranth.

Extract taken from MasterChef: the Finalists, published by Absolute Press, £20.00 Hardback

Photography © David Loftus

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