AGED DUCK BREAST AND JUS
Prep time: 3 days
Cook time: 1 hour
Serves: 2
Ingredients
1 whole duck cut into a crown, keep the duck off-cuts for creating the jus
Ask your butcher to prepare the duck or see Episode 53 for how to cut the crown yourself
Stock
Duck off-cuts (keep one tablespoon of duck trimmings and bone to be used later)
Stock vegetables and herbs
2 carrots, chopped
4 sticks celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, sliced
3 sprigs thyme
wine
500 ml red wine
Jus vegetables
¼ fennel bulb, diced
½ onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery sticks, chopped
Port
¼ cup Ruby Port
Method
Step 1
Cover the bottom of a baking tray with rock salt
Place the duck legs and crown, skin-side down, onto the salt
Put in the fridge for 3 days to allow the duck to dry-age
After 24 hours, remove the salt and return the duck to the fridge, skin side up
Step 2
Heat oven to 180 degrees Celsius
Put all of the duck off-cuts (wings, neck, tail etc.) into a baking dish and roast for 40 minutes
Cool the roasted off-cuts, then put in the fridge to set the fat so it can be removed
Step 3
With the fat removed, place the off-cuts into a stock pot
Add the stock vegetables and herbs
Cover with water, bring to a simmer and cook for 30 minutes
Strain the stock and return it to the stock pot and reheat
Step 4
Heat the oven to 185 degrees Celsius
Step 5
Heat a frypan
Place the duck crown into the pan, skin down
Cook for a few minutes to render the fat and lightly brown the skin
Turn the duck crown over and place the frypan in the oven
Bake for 45 minutes
Remove from the oven and rest for 8 to 10 minutes
Step 6
Add the red wine to the stock and reduce for 10 to 15 minutes
Step 7
Add a dash of oil to a clean frypan and cook the reserved duck trimmings and bone until brown
Add the jus vegetables and sauté
Add the reduced stock
Add the Ruby Port
Step 8
Continue to reduce the liquid by half
Strain into a saucepan
Cook for another 5 minutes
Step 9
Cut along the bone and remove the two the breasts from the duck crown
Slice the breast and arrange on a plate. Season and serve with a small jug of the jus.