Recipe by Sous chef Brian Cole, Hearth, The Ritz Carlton Perth
Serves 4
DISH COMPONENTS
Dry aged Wagin duck breast
Confit Wagin duck leg
Spiced blueberry puree
Red wine jus
Grilled gem lettuce
DRY AGED WAGIN DUCK BREAST
1 Wagin duck
Remove the breast and legs then debone the duck.
Reserve the carcass and legs.
Place duck breast on a tray lined with paper towels.
Dry age in the fridge for 7days.
CONFIT WAGIN DUCK LEG
2 Wagin duck legs
2 sage leaves
3 mountain pepper leaves
1 star anise
2 cloves
1 bay leaf
1kg duck fat
Brine duck legs in a 1% salt brine for 12 hours.
Remove from brine, wash and pat dry.
Place in a deep oven tray with sage, mountain pepper leaves, star anise, cloves and bay leaves.
Cover with duck fat and roast at 130°C for 2.5 hours.
When falling off the bone, allow to cool slightly then remove bones. Reserve.
SPICED BLUEBERRY PUREE
500g blueberries
60g agave syrup
20g sugar
15g raspberry vinegar
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
2 cloves
7g salt
50g water
50g duck fat
Combine blueberries, agave syrup, sugar, vinegar, spices and salt in a saucepan over medium to low heat.
Cook for 10-15min until blueberries are broken down.
Remove from heat and discard star anise, cinnamon stick and cloves.
Pour into a blender and blitz until smooth. Slowly add water if needed.
Slowly emulsify the duck fat while blending.
Blend until smooth and a puree consistency has been reached.
RED WINE JUS
2.5kg duck bones
25ml extra virgin olive oil
2.5kg chicken bones
100g carrots
100g onions
100g celery
200g sugar
5g black peppercorn
200g red wine
200g blackcurrant juice
200g red wine vinegar
10g thyme
Pre-heat oven to 175°C. Roast duck and chicken bones for 1 hour.
To a pan, add the oil then sauté the carrots, onion and celery until golden.
Place bones and veggies in a deep pot then cover with water.
Simmer for 6 hours until reduced then strain stock.
To the stock, add sugar, peppercorn, red wine, blackcurrant juice, red wine vinegar and thyme.
On low heat, reduce until jus reaches desired consistency.
Strain with a fine chinois. Reserve.
GRILLED GEM LETTUCE
1-2 Gem lettuce heads
Pick leaves and wash to remove excess sand and dry leaves.
Grill over fire until slightly charred but not burnt.
DUCK BREAST
Score the skin of the duck breasts and render the fat on low heat until crispy.
Sear the meat side and cook in the oven at 170°C for 5-10min.
Remove duck breasts from oven and rest for 5 min.
On an oven tray, roast the confit leg under a salamander until the skin is crispy.
TO SERVE
Garnish – Micro cabbage leaves
Place a spoonful of puree on the plate, add crispy duck leg and cover with grilled lettuce.
Slice the breast in half lengthways and place half a breast on the plate.
Pour the jus on plate and garnish with micro cabbage.