Ingredients
Inspired by the festive season and the spicy warmth of Deakin Estate Shiraz.
You'll need to make the panna cotta a few hours ahead of time to allow it to set, but this will give you time to enjoy some of the mulled wine you just made as a warming aperitif!
Serves 4
4 duck breasts
Bottle of wine for mulling
An orange
Mulling spices as per your preference
Brandy
250ml single cream
Leaf gelatine
1 litre beef stock
Handful of dried sour cherries (Iranian if you can get them) 50g dried cepe mushrooms
One onion
One carrot
One stick celery
Bay leaf
One or two celeriac depending on size
Whole seed cumin
Truffle oil (optional)
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Panna cotta
Make some mulled wine in your preferred style (but keep it from being too sweet until you've separated some off for the panna cotta). I like to use orange peel, cloves, nutmeg, allspice and a touch of brandy. While you enjoy the warming fruits of your first labour, separate some of the wine, add a small amount of beef stock and reduce to concentrate the flavours. Soak some leaf gelatine in cold water. Add the cream to the wine, season and take off the heat. Stir in the drained gelatine and let it disolve. Pour the panna cotta mixture into espresso cups, allow to cool then refrigerate. At this point add some cold water to your dried sour cherries to rehydrate them and give them a bit of juciness.
Cepe jus
Finely dice the onion, carrot and celery and slowly sweat the vegetables in butter. Add a bay leaf, which you've bashed with wooden spoon to help release its flavours, and the beef stock. Set to a simmer and reduce.
Meanwhile, soak the dried cepes in water as directed by the supplier. When the stock has reduced by 2/3 strain to remove the veg and then add the soaking liqour from the mushrooms and reduce a little further. Set aside, and when you are about to serve. fry off the the cepes and add the reserved liquid.
Celeriac fondant
Cut a 1.5 inch square pp out of your celeriac and gently poach in lightly salted water. When tender drain and set aside to cool. Melt some butter in a pan with a touch of olive oil and a scattering of cumin seed for an spicy earthiness to complement the mulled wine and cepes. Gently brown the celariac and transfer to the oven for 5 mins to finish while your duck rests
Duck
Heat an oven to 180 C. Score the skin and season with sea salt and ground black pepper. Place skin side down in a cold oven proof pan and turn the heat to medium. Let the fat render from the breast. When the fat has mostly rendered and the skin is starting to crisp turn over the breasts to brown the other side for a minute or two. Turn the breasts back over and transfer in the pan to the oven for 6-8 mins to roast. Remove from the oven and pan, and set aside to rest while the fondants finish.
Turn out the panna cotta onto warm plates and allow to slightly melt to release a touch of creamy mulled wine sauce. Carve the duck into thick slices and add to the plate along with a celeriac fondant per person. Spoon the jus and a few pieces of cepe over the duck and scatter a few of the rehydrated sour cherries around the plate. If you are feeling especially decadent drizzle a few drops of truffle oil over the duck just before serving.
Serve with Deakin Estate Shiraz bask in the acclaim of your dinner guests!
Recipe by Iain Johnstone
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