Ingredients (serves 2)
2 duck breasts
½ cup hazelnuts, roasted
2-6 Dutch carrots, washed, trim
1 tablespoon honey
20g butter, melted
Extra-virgin olive oil
Sea salt & cracked pepper
Parsley, garnish
Celeriac Puree
250g celeriac, (celery root) peeled, chopped
¼ cup shallots, white part only, sliced
20g butter
200ml milk
¼ cup (60ml) cream
Cherry Glaze
1 1/2 cup cherries, remove the seed, halve
3 slices ginger
3 tablespoon honey
½ teaspoon allspice
2 star anise
2 tablespoon red wine vinegar
Method
- For the cherry glaze: In a saucepan add cherries, ginger, honey, allspice, star anise, red wine vinegar and ½ cup (125ml) water and bring to boil. Reduce heat to low and cook, occasionally stirring until liquid is reduced and syrupy, separate cherries from the syrup and set aside both elements. Reheat cherries just before serving.
- For the celeriac puree: In a saucepan add celeriac, milk, shallots and salt and simmer over low heat and cook until tender. Place celeriac in a food processor and puree until smooth, gradually adding cream and butter until the puree has reached desired consistency, strain and season to taste. Reheat just before serving.
- Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place hazelnuts on an oven tray and roast for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly coloured and skins are blistered. Wrap nuts in a kitchen towel and let steam about 1 minute. Rub nuts in towel to remove loose skins and cool completely. Place nuts in a food processor and blitz a little, so you have fine and chunky bits of nuts and set aside.
- For the roasted carrots: Prepare 2 or 6 carrots and toss in a little olive oil, butter, honey and season. Place on a roasting tray and cook until just tender, remove from the oven, cover with foil and get ready for serving.
- Season the duck breasts, place skin-side down, in a non-stick fry pan over medium/high heat and cook for 6 minutes or until most of the fat is rendered and the skin is golden. Turn and cook the duck, basting both sides with cherry glaze juices for a further 2 minutes or until cooked to your liking, (see chefs notes below). Remove from heat and rest for 5 minutes and then slice in half on a diagonal ready to serve.
To Serve
On two warm serving plates arrange duck breasts halves on the side of the plate set apart. Divide and spoon the cherries just near the duck and place one or three roasted carrots next. Pipe or spoon the puree near the carrots and scatter over hazelnuts and arrange 3 parsley fronds around the plate and serve. Refer to the image for perfect plating.
Chef's Notes
How to check the duck breast is cooked: Press the duck breast firmly with your finger, if it is cooked correctly, the texture of the breast should be quite soft but should spring back slightly to the touch. Using a meat thermometer – perfectly pink duck should have an internal temperature of 52˚C (125°F).