Duck Pie with Spiced Figs

Ingredients

Pie:

1kg duck (or barbequed duck, meat picked, bones discarded)
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 sheet of ready-made short crust (pie) pastry
1 large starchy potato (such as Sebago), thinly sliced

Fig chutney:

50g caster (superfine) sugar
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
5 large figs, quartered
1 large strip of orange zest
Pinch of ground cumin
125mL (1/2 cup) red wine
1 1/2 Tbs Port

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 180 C (350 F/Gas 4).

Season the duck with salt, pepper and cinnamon, place snugly in a roasting tin, breast side down, and add the garlic and onion. Roast for 1 hour, turning the duck a few times during cooking. About halfway through, scoop out some of the fat from the base of the tin, place in a large bowl, add your sliced potatoes and toss to coat.

While the duck is roasting, make your fig chutney. Place the sugar in a saucepan over medium-high heat, and pour in just enough water to dissolve the sugar. Add the cinnamon and star anise and bring to the boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until the syrup is reduced and golden. Add the figs, orange zest, ground cumin, wine and port.

Turn the heat to low. Keeping an eye on the sauce, maintain the heat until the sauce is a thicker consistency, about 25 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, season and allow to cool.

Pull the duck from the oven and transfer to a clean surface, keeping the oven on. Once slightly cooled, pull the meat from the bones and add to the fig chutney. Stir to combine.

Line two 250mL (1 cup) ramekins or 8cm diameter pie tins with the pastry and blind bake, using pastry weights or uncooked rice grains for 10 minutes.

Remove from the oven and spoon in the duck mixture. Layer the duck-fat-coated potato slices over the top of the duck mixture, overlapping each slice. Place the pies in the oven and cook for 25 minutes until the potato is golden and crisp, and the duck mixture is warmed through.

Serve with a simple green salad.

Credits: 'Kitchen Coquette' by Katrina Meynink, Published by Allen & Unwin