For the fondant potatoes:
- Preheat the oven to 200°C/Gas Mark 6. Peel the potatoes and cut out two cylinders from each one using a 5cm metal cutter (you want eight cylinders in total). Neaten the top and bottom with a knife so they are flat
- Heat an ovenproof frying pan and melt the butter with the oil. Add the potatoes and colour them all over – top and bottom and on the sides; use tongs to turn them
- Add the thyme, garlic and stock to the pan. Cover with a cartouche (a circle of buttered greaseproof paper that will cover the pan completely) 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 (then replace the cartouche)
- Make the other elements of the dish while the potatoes are in the oven
For the carrot and cumin purée:
- Cook the carrots in a pan of boiling water until tender
- Drain and place in a blender with the olive oil, cumin and some salt and pepper
- Blend for 4-5 minutes or until very 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 in a cold non-stick frying pan (starting in a cold pan will render the fat slowly)
- Set on the heat and cook for 4-5 minutes or until the skin has a good colour and is crisp
- Add the garlic cloves and thyme and turn the breasts over. Reduce the heat and cook for 4-5 minutes. Turn the breasts on to the skin side again and cook for 3 minutes. Turn over and cook for another 3 minutes, then turn once more and cook on the skin side for a final 2 minutes. The total cooking time will be 18 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 red port jus:
- Remove the garlic and thyme from pan (discard these) and skim off excess fat
- Deglaze the frying pan with the port, then add the redcurrant jelly and whisk until melted
- Add the shallots, thyme sprigs, garlic and stock to the pan. Bring to the boil and reduce by half. Pass through a sieve into a saucepan
- Gradually whisk in the butter and season to taste. Keep warm
To serve:
- Make a line of carrot purée on each plate
- Cut each duck breast into four slices and arrange in a criss-cross line on the other side of the plate, with a fondant potato at each end
- Drizzle a little jus over the duck and garnish with some pea shoots. Garnish the carrot purée with red amaranth.
Taken from Masterchef: The Finalists (£20; Absolute Press)
Ingredients
For the fondant potatoes:
- 4 even-sized large Desiree potatoes
- a large knob of unsalted butter
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 sprig of thyme
- 1 large garlic clove, crushed
- 250ml chicken stock (or duck stock if you have it)
For the carrot and cumin purée:
- 4 carrots, cut into 2cm pieces
- 4 tablespoons olive oil
- a pinch of ground cumin
- For the duck breasts
- 4 large duck breasts
- 4 garlic cloves (unpeeled), crushed
- 4 sprigs of thyme
For the red port jus:
- 100ml port
- 3 tablespoons redcurrant jelly
- 2 shallots, roughly chopped
- 2 sprigs of thyme
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 200ml chicken stock
- 25g unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
- salt and pepper to taste
To garnish:
- growing pea shoots
- micro red amaranth
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