Duck breast with Fondant Potatoes, Carrot & Cumin puree & Cranberry jus

Perfect midweek meal with friends, this recipe will have your tastebuds dancing!

Hi everyone, I hope you are all well. This recipe I have for you today is a stunner! It is so simple yet looks beautiful when plated up and of course all the flavours go so well with each other.

Here's what you'll need:

Ingredients: serves 4

For the Fondant Potatoes
4 large white potatoes
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 sprig of thyme
1 large garlic clove, crushed
250ml chicken stock

For the Carrot & Cumin puree
4 carrots, peeled and cut
4 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

For the duck breasts
4 large duck breasts
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled and crushed
4 sprigs of thyme

For the Cranberry jus
100ml water
200ml chicken stock
3 tablespoons Cranberry jelly
2 shallots, roughly chopped
2 sprigs of thyme
2 garlic cloves, crushed
25g unsalted butter
Salt & Pepper to taste

To garnish
Baby parsley
Extra salt

Method

For the Fondant Potatoes
Preheat the oven to 200C/390F/Gas mark 6. Peel the potatoes and cut out two cylinders from each one using a metal cutter )you want 4 cylinders in total) I use a plating ring or rounded cookie cutter. Neaten the top and bottom with a knife so they are flat and even.

Heat an ovenproof frying panned melt the butter with the oil. Add the potatoes and colour them on both sides using silicon tongs. Add the thyme, garlic and stock to the pan. Cover with a circle of greaseproof paper thats covers the entire pan (called a 'cartouche') and transfer to the oven. Cook for 40-45 minutes or until the potatoes are soft and cooked through. Halfway through the cooking, baste the potatoes with the stock so the tops don't dry out and replace with a new cartouche. Make the other elements of the dish while the potatoes are in the oven so it all comes together hot at the end.

For the carrot and cumin puree
Cook the carrots in a pan of boiling water until tender. Drain and place in a blender with the olive oil, cumin and a pinch of salt and pepper. Blend for 4-5 minutes or until smooth. Spoon into a saucepan and set aside, ready to reheat for serving.

For the duck breasts
Score the skin on the duck breasts without cutting into the flesh. Season both sides of each breast. Place the breasts skin side down into a cold non stick frying pan (This will render the fat slowly. Set on a high heat and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the skin has good colour and is crisp. Add the garlic cloves and thyme and turn the breasts over. Reduce the heat to medium and cook for another 4-5 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes, then turn once more and cooking on the skin side for 2 minutes. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and leave to rest in a warm place for 5-7 minutes while you make the jus.

For the cranberry jus
Remove the garlic and thyme from the pan. Deglaze the pan with water and stock, then add the cranberry jelly and whisk until combined. Add the shallots, thyme and garlic to the pan. Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Pass through a sieve into a sauce pan. Gradually whisk the butter in and season to taste. Keep warm.

To serve
Place a dollop of carrot puree on the plate and using the the back of a clean tablespoon swipe right. Place the fondant potatoes at the end of each swipe and sprinkle salt on top. Cut the duck into four slices and arrange on the plate in between. Spoon over the jus and garnish with baby parsley.

This dish is perfect for dinner parties or impressing that someone special, let me know what you think!

Enjoy

Rob