Dry-aged Duck Breast, Beetroot and Dates - Chef Recipe by Chathun Perera.

Ingredients

1 whole duck crown
2 large beetroot

Date chutney:

100 g pitted dates
50mL white wine vinegar
5 g salt
200mL water
50 g sugar
1/4 tsp each caraway, fennel, black pepper and coriander seeds

Brine:

3 L water
80 g salt
100 g honey
5 star anise
3 cinnamon quills
7 g peppercorn
8 bay leaves

Method

Brine:

Mix all ingredients and bring to boil, let it cool down.

Put the duck into the brine solution for 4 hours.

After four hours take the duck breast out and pat dry with a clean kitchen cloth.

Hang in the dry-aged chiller for 7 days.

Date chutney:

Mix all the ingredients in a saucepan and bring to a boil.

Blend until smooth puree and pass through the fine strainer.

Store in a piping bag.

Beetroot:

Season the beetroot with a bit of olive oil, salt and pepper.

Wrap in aluminium foil and bake for 1 hour at 220 C.

Removed the aluminium foil and cut it into 3 cm wide wedges

Marinate with some of the date chutney, fresh mint and lemon juice.

Season with salt and pepper to taste.

To cook:

Remove the breast from the carcass and slowly cook the duck breast skin side down in the pan.

Get the golden-brown colour on the skin side.

Cook in the oven for 5 minutes at 170 C.
Rest the duck for 3 minutes on a wire rack.

To plate:

On the plate put some of the beetroot pieces and pipe some of the date puree.

Beside of the beetroot plate half of the duck breast.

Garnish with some society garlic flowers and fennel leaves.

Recipe provided by Darleys