Rustic Baked Snapper

Ingredients

1 whole snapper, cleaned and lightly scored.
6 shallots, finely sliced.
3 sprigs thyme.
4 sprigs parsley.
1 – 2 sprigs tarragon.
200g Swiss brown mushrooms, cut half-ways.
3 Roma tomatoes, sliced.
250 ml white wine.

Method

Arrange ingredients in deep, greased ceramic baking tray, cover with foil and bake at 200°C for 45 minutes, checking fish after 30min for wellness.

Duck Pie

Ingredients

400g duck meat, chopped (I tend to buy a whole large duck, use the breast for a terrine, the marylands for confit, and the remaining off-cuts make about 400g).
400ml duck stock (you can use the carcass for this).
150g carrot, chopped into 1cm square cubes.
200 kipfler potatoes, chopped into 1cm square cubes.
½ onion, finely chopped.
1 sprig thyme.
1 bay leaf.
Puff pastry.

Method

Pre-heat oven to 150°C.
In a heavy based oven-proof pot, brown the duck meat over moderate head with a dash of butter.
Add stock, herbs, cover, and bake in oven for 3 ½ hours.
Remove from oven, lift out meat and reserve liquid.
In pan, sauté onion over moderate heat with butter until browned.
Lift out onion.
Return liquid to pot, return to moderate heat and stir in a dash of flour, cooking for 2 – 3 min to form gravy.
Return onion and duck to pot, add potatoes and carrot, cover, and return to over for a further 1 ½ hours.
Remove pot from oven, and increase heat to 220°C.
Spoon pie mixture into individual ramekins, covering with puff pastry.
Wash pastry with milk or beaten egg.
Bake at 220°C for about 20min, until pastry is brown.

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients

1 small pumpkin, about 1kg, cleaned and chopped to make 700g.
350ml beef or veal stock.
1 small onion, finely chopped.

Method

Soften onion in a large saucepan.
Add pumpkin and stock, simmer over moderate heat for 20min, until pumpkin is soft.
Puree, adding additional stock if necessary.
Season, and serve with crusty bread.

Small Duck Breast Terrine

Ingredients

700g duck breast (about 2 large breasts), coarsely chopped.
350g pork shoulder, coarsely chopped.
50g chicken or duck liver, coarsely chopped.
50g pork flare or back fat.
6-8 slices bacon or speck, very finely sliced.
75g baby spinach leaves.
30ml cognac.
1 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
1 garlic clove, finely chopped.
½ tsp quatre-épices.
1 sprig of thyme, stalk removed, finely chopped.
1 egg yolk, lightly beaten.
25g salt.
Pinch black pepper.

Method

Preheat oven to 160°C.
Line a small (about 400ml capacity) terrine with bacon slices, leaving the edges overhanging—when the dish is full you will fold these over to wrap the terrine.
Blanche spinach for 1 – 2 min, drain well, squeeze dry and finely chop.
Combine spinach and all remaining ingredients and mix very well.
Press the mixture into terrine dish, folding over bacon to form a cover.
Cover with terrine lid (or foil) and bake in a bain-marie for 1 hour.
Reduce heat to 140°C and bake for a further 4 – 5 hours, internal temperature 70°C.
Remove from oven, allow to cool, and drain well of any fluids.
Remove terrine lid and apply a heavy weight to terrine—at least 1 kg—ensuring that even weight is applied across the terrine.
Rest, weighted, in refrigerator overnight, before removing weight and covering.
Serve with cornichons, cherries, and toasted sourdough.

Mushroom Sandwiches

Ingredients

About 200g of 4 or 5 types of wild field mushrooms.
About 4 garlic cloves.
2 tblsp parsley, finely chopped.
Lemon.
Butter.
Rye bread, thickly sliced.

Method

Sauté each variety of field mushroom individually with a touch of garlic and butter for 4 – 5 minutes each.
Combine mushrooms, season with salt, pepper, parley, and a squeeze of lemon juice.
Return to pan for 1 – 2 minutes to reheat.
Meanwhile, toast buttered bread under salamander until lightly browned.
Serve as a sandwich.

Cauliflower with Cheese Sauce

Ingredients

1 cauliflower, cut into florets.
500ml milk.
150g strong cheddar cheese, grated.
100g butter
100g flour

Method

Preheat oven to 180°C.
Arrange cauliflower in a deep oven tray, lightly greased with butter.
Warm milk and set aside.
In a heavy based saucepan, melt butter, and add flour to form a roux, cooking for 2 minutes without browning.
Remove pan from heat.
Gradually add milk, stirring constantly.
Return to the heat stirring constantly, bring to the boil, reduce heat and cooked until thickened to make a white sauce.
Stir through cheese, and season with salt and white pepper.
Pour sauce to cover cauliflower, and bake for 20 min.

Confit Duck Legs

Ingredients

6 duck marylands.
Approx 1 ltr of either duck fat, goose fat, lard, or a combination of all three.
About 100g salt.
6 – 8 black peppercorns.
2 – 3 bay leaves.
2 – 3 garlic cloves, crushed.
2 – 3 juniper berries, crushed.
Sprig rosemary.
Sprig thyme.

Method

Liberally rub marylands with salt, then rest for 2 – 4 hours.
Pre-heat oven to 80°C.
Rinse marylands under water and pat dry.
In a large, deep oven dish or casserole, arrange marylands and herbs.
Cover entirely with fat; legs must be covered by at least 1cm of fat above top of flesh.
Cook in oven for 5 hours.
Carefully remove marylands from pan, rest aside.
Reserve fat.
Once fat and legs are cooled, strain fat through fine sieve.
Place marylands in a sterilized container, covering with strained fat, and refrigerate.
Marylands will keep like this for some time, and are best after at least 1 – 2 days.
To serve, remove marylands from fat, leaving a fine layer of grease, and either 1) pan-fry over moderate heat for 8 – 10 minutes, until crisp, or 2) roast at 180°C for 20 – 30 min, until crisp.
Serve with a salad of rocket, walnuts, and finely diced pear, dressed with a simple dressing.