Smoked Magret Duck Breast...Smoked Magret Duck Breast with Fermented Scotch Bonnet & Morello Cherry Gastrique

Pan-roasted dry-aged duck breast served alongside a fiery fermented Scotch bonnet and sour cherry gastrique, balanced by velvety Sichuan-infused celeriac silk and charred young leeks.

Ingredients

Cooking Instructions

1. 01

   Prepare the Sichuan celeriac silk: Submerge celeriac in salted water and simmer until completely tender (approx. 20 minutes). Meanwhile, gently infuse the heavy cream with the crushed Sichuan peppercorns over low heat for 10 minutes, then strain. Drain the cooked celeriac thoroughly, transfer to a high-speed blender, and purée with the infused warm cream and 40g of cultured butter until silky and glossy. Pass through a fine chinois, season with kosher salt, and keep warm.

2. 02

   Create the spicy gastrique: In a heavy saucepan, caramelize the turbinado sugar over medium-low heat until it turns a deep amber. Deglaze immediately with the Banyuls vinegar, whisking vigorously. Stir in the Morello cherry purée, duck glace, and minced fermented Scotch bonnet peppers. Simmer gently until reduced by half to a nappe consistency with an assertive, glossy heat. Whisk in 20g of cold butter to emulsify. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve if a completely smooth gloss is desired, or retain the fine pepper specks for visual intrigue.

3. 03

   Render and roast the duck: Pat duck breasts completely dry. Season liberally with fine sea salt on both sides. Place skin-side down in a cold cast-iron pan and bring to medium-low heat. Slowly render the fat for 12–14 minutes, continuously draining excess fat, until the skin turns deep golden and glass-crisp. Flip and sear the flesh side for 90 seconds. Transfer to an oven preheated to 160°C (320°F) for 3–4 minutes until an internal temperature of 52°C (125°F) is reached. Rest on an elevated rack for 8 minutes.

4. 04

   Char the baby leeks: Heat 15g of cultured butter and a spoonful of rendered duck fat in a skillet over high heat. Add baby leeks and char aggressively for 2 minutes per side until blistered on the exterior and tender at the core. Season lightly with salt.

5. 05

   Carve and assemble: Slice the rested duck breasts lengthwise into pristine medallions. Swoosh a generous spoon of the Sichuan celeriac silk onto each warmed plate. Arrange the charred baby leeks alongside. Lay the sliced duck breast against the purée, skin side facing upward. Nappe the spicy Scotch bonnet-cherry gastrique artfully across the plate and over the meat. Finish the duck skin with smoked Maldon sea salt and delicate purple shiso leaves.