Roast duck with petite endive tatin and hot foie gras, by Allan Pickett

Our seasonal recipe for roast duck with petite endive tatin and hot foie gras comes courtesy of Allan Pickett, head chef of Plateau in London.










INGREDIENTS
(Serves two)

● 2 duck breasts
● 50ml white onion purée (see below)
● 6 caramelised baby onions
● 2 pieces of the best quality foie gras for pan frying
● Rock salt
● 1 small punnet of pea sprouts or coriander cress
● 50ml red wine sauce

For the endive tatin
● 1 Belgian endive
● 50ml orange juice
● 80g puff pastry

For the spiced tuile
● 1 sheet of pate a bric
● 25g butter
● 10g dark brown sugar
● 2g five-spice

For the white onion purée
● 2 white onions, thinly sliced
● 100ml white chicken stock
● 1 clove of garlic, sliced
● 8g butter
● 30ml double cream

METHOD
To prepare the duck breasts, score the skin lightly and season well. Render the fat of the duck breast down in a frying pan and then just very gently sear the flesh so it changes from pink to brown. Cook in an oven at 175˚C for 7-8 minutes. Leave to rest in a warm place.

For the braised endives tatin
Cut the endive in half and colour in a sauté pan until golden brown all over. Add a dash of orange juice and cook in an oven at 175˚C for approximately 12 minutes, until just tender. Turn twice during cooking.

Set aside to cool slightly. When cool enough to touch, cut into three pieces lengthways and remove the tough core, then wind the endive inside a metal ring, creating a spiral effect.

Place a small disc of puff pastry on top of the endive and tuck it in. Bake for around 12 minutes at 180˚C, until the pastry is well risen and golden brown.

Turn over carefully and remove the ring. Keep hot for service.

For the spiced tuile
Cut the pate a bric paste into two long triangular pieces. Warm the sugar, butter and five-spice together. Brush the spiced butter onto both sides of the triangles and then place onto a non-stick tray. Bake at 175˚C for 7 minutes. Remove from tray while they are still hot and leave somewhere flat to harden.

For the white onion purée
Cook the onions, very slowly in a pan with the butter, white chicken stock, garlic and seasoning. Once cooked, drain the split butter from the mix and add the smallest amount of double cream. Bring back to the boil. Blend this mixture until you have a fine purée, pass and adjust the seasoning.

Once you are ready to plate, sear the foie gras in a hot pan and season well with fine rock salt.

Ensure all the ingredients are hot, spoon the onion purée onto a plate and run a spoon through it.

Cut the duck into three pieces and place onto the plate, followed by the hot endive tatin with the foie gras on top, and the caramelised baby onions. Sprinkle over the pea sprouts and finish with the red wine sauce and spiced tuille. Serve hot.