RECIPE: Chef Ian's Confit Duck with Seasonal Berries and Plums

Chef Ian Bergh prepared a gourmet recipe for the more adventurous foodies, but he felt that this dish is vital to complement our acclaimed Amandelboord Pinotage. He used many of the ingredients in the Pinotage’s flavour profiles so that the dish can complement the wine.

Confit Duck with Seasonal Berries and Plums

Ingredients

• 1 whole duck, broken down into leg quarters, breasts and carcass
• 1 plum, cut in half, stone removed
• 3 black berries, halved
• 3 raspberries, halved
• 1 head baby pak choi, halved in length
• 6 baby Mediterranean potatoes, peeled, halved and cooked
• 500ml duck fat
• 4 tbsp coarse salt
• 6 juniper berries, crushed
• 2 whole star anise
• 6 black peppercorns
• 1 small stick cinnamon
• 2 carrots, roughly chopped
• 2 onions, roughly chopped
• ½ onion finely chopped
• 400ml port
• 2 sticks celery, roughly chopped
• 2 large leeks, roughly chopped
• 1 head garlic, cut in half horizontally
• 6 bay leaves
• 2 small figs, halved
• 2 tbsp mixed sprouts
• 1 small bunch thyme
• 2 large shiitake mushrooms, quartered

Method

1. Start by salting the two legs evenly with the coarse salt, 4 bay leaves, the peppercorns, star anise and the juniper berries. Place in a container, cover, refrigerate for 12 hours.

2. Roast the carcass until golden brown, add the carrots, celery, leeks, onion, half of the garlic, 5 litre water and simmer for 6 hours to make the stock. Strain, set aside and keep warm. Discard the vegetables and bones, remove the fat from the stock, set aside and keep warm.

3. After 12 hours, wash off the salt and spices from the duck legs, pat dry. Melt the duck fat in a small to medium cooking pot then add the duck legs, the remaining bay leaves, the rest of the garlic and thyme and cook at a very low heat for about 2 to 3 hours, never more than a simmer. When the legs are cooked, gently remove from the fat and set aside. Strain the fat, set aside.

4. Fry the finely chopped onion over a low heat for about two minutes, add the port, turn up the heat, reduce the volume by half. Then add the stock, reduce until liquid starts to thicken slightly, whisk in a knob of butter, season, set aside and keep warm. 

5. Preheat oven to 180°C. Add the potatoes to the warm duck fat in a baking tray and set aside. Add the plumbs with a knob of butter, cinnamon and a sprinkle of sugar to another baking tray and set aside. Now add the duck legs to another baking tray, set aside. 

6. Now place the plums, duck legs and potatoes in the oven and bake for 15-20 minutes, remove, set aside and keep warm.

7. Wilt the pak choi over a low heat with the sprouts, a knob of butter and a splash of water, season, set aside and keep warm.

8. Season the duck breast and gently fry over medium heat for about 2-3 minutes on each side until the fat is crispy and cooked medium-rare. Set aside and keep warm.

9. Fry the mushrooms with a knob of butter and a squeeze of lemon juice for about two minutes, set aside and keep warm.

10. Slice the duck breast and arrange the rest of the ingredients on two serving plates, drizzle over the jus and serve immediately.

This recipe is for the adventurous foodies, and pairs great with our De Grendel Amandelboord Pinotage. Have questions about the recipe? Tweet Chef Ian Bergh at @ChefIanBergh on Twitter.