Tea-smoked duck with mustard fruits and balsamic jelly

ingredients

• Duck

  • 2 duck breasts, trimmed of excess fat
  • 2 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar
  • 1 tablespoon sichuan peppercorns or black peppercorns, crushed

• Balsamic jelly

  • 3 leaves of gold-grade gelatine
  • 1 cup red wine
  • 1 cup balsamic vinegar
  • 2 tablespoon brown sugar

• Mustard fruits

  • 110 gram glacé mixed peel
  • 100 gram glacé cherries, chopped
  • 2 apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1cm dice
  • 1/2 teaspoon black peppercorns
  • 1/2 tablespoon wholegrain mustard
  • 1/2 cup sugar
  • 50 millilitre red wine vinegar
  • 1 cup water
  • 2 bay leaves

• Tea smoking mixture

  • 1 tablespoon sichuan peppercorns or black peppercorns
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 4 tablespoon brown sugar
  • zest of 1/2 orange
  • 2 tablespoon jasmine rice
  • 100 gram jasmine tea leaves

• To serve

  • 1/2 loaf ciabatta, cut into 5mm slices
  • 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil, plus extra to garnish
  • vincotto or balsamic reduction
  • micro greens or watercress, to garnish

method

• Tea-smoked duck with mustard fruits and balsamic jelly

  • 1

    Place duck breasts skin-side down on a piece of tinfoil. Rub with salt, sugar and peppercorns. Wrap the foil around the duck, place a heavy weight on top and refrigerate overnight. Unwrap the duck, wash under cold water and thoroughly pat dry.

  • 2

    To make balsamic jelly, soak the gelatine in cold water until soft. Squeeze out liquid. Bring wine, vinegar and sugar to the boil, reduce by half, take off the heat and whisk in the gelatine. Grease a shallow tray or container and pour the mixture in carefully. Place in fridge to set overnight or for at least 5-6 hours. It will make about 2 cups of jelly and will keep in the fridge for up to five days.

  • 3

    Place all the mustard fruit ingredients in a pot and bring to the boil, simmer for 40 minutes and leave to cool. Remove bay leaves. This recipe will make around 500g of mixture and will keep in the refrigerator for up to one month.

  • 4

    Preheat oven to 180°C. Place a non-stick frying pan on high heat for 2 minutes then turn down the heat to lowest setting and place the duck skin-side down in the pan. Leave to render for 6 minutes.

  • 5

    Pour out and reserve the duck fat (it’s great for roasting potatoes), return duck to pan and leave to render for another 8 minutes until the skin is nice and crispy.

  • 6

    Place all tea smoking ingredients in a tinfoil-lined wok. Place a wire rack on top of the wok and lightly brush it with oil.

  • 7

    Place wok on a high heat and leave for 2 minutes until smoke forms. Place duck skin-side up on rack, place a lid or bowl on top to contain smoke. Smoke the duck for 6-8 minutes then slice as thinly as possible.

  • 8

    For the ciabatta toasts, brush the cut bread with oil on both sides. Place in oven for 3-4 minutes, turn slices over and toast for another 3-4 minutes or until a nice golden colour.

  • 9

    Drizzle vincotto or balsamic reduction on each plate. Place a toasted ciabatta on each plate. Arrange some mustard fruits on top, followed by a few duck slices. Cut the jelly into 1cm dice and place some on top of the duck. Scatter with salad leaves of choice and drizzle with extra virgin olive oil.