thornhill duck breast

Recipe by Finbar Higgins, former Executive Chef at K Club, Kildare County, Ireland.

buy book

Serves 4


Ingredients

Duck

• 1 whole Thornhill Duck
• 1 sprig of Thyme
• 1 clove Garlic
• 0.7 oz. Newgrange Gold Rapeseed Oil
• 1.4 oz. Avonmore Unsalted Butter
• Salt and Black Pepper to taste
• Golden Raisin Chutney
• 2.1 oz. Muscovado Sugar
• 1.8 oz. Champagne Vinegar
• 10½ oz. Golden Raisins (soaked in water overnight)
• 0.8 oz. Avonmore Unsalted Butter
• 1.8 oz. Onion (chopped)
• Salt and White Pepper to taste

​

Pine Nut Oil

• 0.7 oz. Pine Nuts
• 1.4 oz. Newgrange Gold Rapeseed Oil
• Salt and White Pepper to taste

Peking Glaze

• 1.8 oz. Oyster Sauce
• 0.2 oz. Dark Soy Sauce
• 0.4 oz. Granulated Sugar
• 0.2 oz. Sesame Oil
• 0.7 oz. Thin Soy Sauce
• 0.05 oz. Black Pepper
• 3½ oz. Water
• 3½ oz. Honey

Turnip Fondant

• 1 Turnip
• 0.4 oz. Newgrange Gold Rapeseed Oil
• 1 sprig Thyme
• 1 clove Garlic (crushed)
• 0.7 oz. Avonmore Unsalted Butter
• Salt and White Pepper to taste

Garnish

• 1 tsp. Sesame Seeds (toasted)

Preparation


Duck Legs


Remove both breasts and legs from the carcass.

Debone the legs and roll each into a cylinder shape, wrapping each one very tightly in cling film.

Place them in a vacuum-pack bag with the garlic, thyme, rapeseed oil, salt and pepper and seal.

Transfer to a water bath, set to 70°C, and slow cook for 12 hours.

Once cooked, remove and place the duck (still in the sealed bag) immediately into iced water to cool.


Duck Breast


Using a very sharp knife remove the skin from the breast in one piece without cutting into the flesh.

Place the breasts in a vacuum-pack bag and season with a little salt and black pepper.

Seal and insert a needle probe into the center of the breast.

Transfer to a water bath, set to 60°C, and cook until the probe reaches a temperature of 52°C.


Duck Skin Crackling


Preheat the oven to 180°C.

Cut the skin in half lengthwise.

Season with a little salt and pepper and place between two sheets of parchment paper.

Place the sheets on to a baking tray and place another tray on top.

Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Remove the top tray and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crispy.

Brush with Peking glaze and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes.

Remove the top tray and cook for another 10 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crispy.

Brush with Peking glaze and sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.


Golden Raisin Chutney


Place the sugar in a pot and heat until it is light caramel in color.

Add the vinegar to make a gastrique sauce.

Once the sugar is dissolved, remove the pot from the heat and set aside to cool.

Squeeze any excess water out of the raisins.

Place the unsalted butter in a separate pot and melt over a medium heat. Add the onions, season and cook slowly until soft but not colored.

Pour in the gastrique sauce, add the raisins and cook over a medium heat until the liquid has all but evaporated.

Transfer to a jar and allow to cool until needed.


Pine Nut Oil


Preheat the oven to 145°C.

Roast the pine nuts in the preheated oven until golden.

Place the pine nuts and rapeseed oil in a blender and blend on high until smooth.

Season to taste.
 
Pass through a fine sieve and store in a bottle.


Peking Glaze


Mix all the Peking glaze ingredients together in a pot and boil until the liquid has reduced to form a thick syrup.

Set aside.


Turnip Fondant


Slice the turnip widthways into 3cm-thick rounds.

Place in a vacuum-pack bag with the rapeseed oil, thyme and garlic.

Season with a little salt and pepper and seal the bag.

Cook in a steamer for 45 minutes, or until the turnip is soft.

Remove from the bag and pat dry.

Using a 2 inch cutter, cut the turnip into as many fondants as it will make.


Assembly


Put the duck legs in the sealed bag back into the water bath, set to 65°C, for 15 minutes to warm through.

Remove from the bag and seal in a hot pan until the skin is golden brown on all sides and then cut each leg in half.

To finish the turnip fondants, add the butter to a hot pan and when it foams up add the turnip fondants and baste until they turn golden brown in the nutty butter.

Remove the duck breasts from the bag and seal the meat very quickly in a hot pan until nicely browned.

Paint with Peking glaze and place under a hot grill for 1 minute and then cut in half before serving.

Paint the Peking glaze lengthwise down a warm plate and place the crackling on top.

Place a quenelle of raisin chutney on the skin.

Next, arrange the duck breast and leg piece on the strip of glaze.

Place the turnip fondants with a small sliver of the breast resting on top. Drizzle the pine nut oil each side of the duck and serve.

Remove the duck breasts from the bag and seal the meat very quickly in a hot pan until nicely browned.

Paint with Peking glaze and place under a hot grill for 1 minute and then cut in half before serving.

Paint the Peking glaze lengthwise down a warm plate and place the crackling on top.

Place a quenelle of raisin chutney on the skin.

Next, arrange the duck breast and leg piece on the strip of glaze.

Place the turnip fondants with a small sliver of the breast resting on top.

Drizzle the pine nut oil each side of the duck and serve.


Wine Match
​
Yalumba Patchwork Shiraz, Barossa Valley.​

subscribe to print magazine

The Straffan House at K Club, County Kildare, Ireland. Image courtesy of K Club.