Late autumn in the UK is a fantastic time to be a cook. You have all the preserves from the warmer months to work with, prolonging the essence of balmier days, but, as colder weather draws in, it’s also a time to think about heartier fare to warm our bellies. Root vegetables, mushrooms and dark red meat play a prominent role in making the winter chill not just bearable but somehow even desirable. Duck is one of my favourites for a weekend lunch, and we’re lucky to have incredible produce here in Yorkshire to pair it with.
Honey-roast duck with beetroot and poached pears (pictured top)
Chill 48 hr
Prep 20 min
Cook 1 hr 30 min
Serves 4
For the pears
2 large, ripe williams pears, peeled, quartered and cored
600ml red wine
300g caster sugar
Strips of zest and juice of 1 orange
3 bay leaves
1 rosemary sprig
1 thyme sprig
For the duck
200g baby beetroot, halved
1 garlic bulb
2 red onions, peeled and quartered
2 rosemary sprigs
2 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar, or balsamic vinegar
1 duck crown, left uncovered in the fridge for 48 hours (this helps to dry out the skin)
3 tbsp runny honey
Salt
Heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6. Put the pears in a pan with the wine, sugar, orange zest and juice, bay, rosemary and thyme. Cover with a cartouche (a circle of baking paper laid directly on top of the poaching liquid), bring to a gentle simmer and poach for about 15-20 minutes, until tender.
Meanwhile, put the beetroot, garlic, onion, rosemary, olive oil and vinegar in an oven tray, mix well, then roast for 25 minutes.
Rub the duck all over with the honey, and season liberally with salt. Once the beetroot mix has had 25 minutes, sit the duck crown on top and return to the oven for 10 minutes. Turn the tray 180 degrees, roast for another eight minutes, then remove and leave to rest for 20 minutes.
Carve the duck and serve each portion with two slices of warm poached pear as a garnish (keep the poaching liquid: reduce it until it’s syrupy, then save for pouring over vanilla ice-cream). This would be lovely with some mash and/or a bitter-leaf salad alongside.
Yorkshire pudding stuffed with slow-cooked duck leg, liver parfait and wild mushrooms
Prep 15 min
Cook 2 hr 30 min
Serves 4
For the yorkshire pudding
1 tbsp duck fat, melted
115g plain flour
3 eggs
250g whole milk
Salt and black pepper
12g salted butter, melted
For the stuffing
2 duck legs
400g mixed wild mushrooms
4 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely sliced
1 tbsp plain flour
150ml red wine
250ml chicken stock
3-4 rosemary sprigs
200g duck liver parfait
Heat the oven to 250C (230C fan)/480F/gas 9-plus. Divide the duck fat evenly between two four-hole yorkshire pudding tins (or deep muffin tins – to make eight), then put the trays in the hot oven to heat up.
Meanwhile, make the batter. Tip the flour into a bowl, then beat in the eggs until smooth. Gradually beat in the milk then continue to beat until the mix is completely lump-free. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in the melted butter and pour the batter into a jug. Take the hot tins out of the oven, then carefully and evenly pour the batter into the greased holes. Return the tins to the oven and bake undisturbed for 20-25 minutes, until the puddings have puffed up and browned. Remove and set aside while you make the stuffing.
Meanwhile, put a large, lidded ovenproof casserole on a medium heat, then brown the duck legs in it for 10-15 minutes (their fat will render so no need for oil), turning every few minutes so they colour all over. Transfer to a plate and remove all but a tablespoon of the duck fat from the casserole (save the excess for roasting spuds). Once the yorkshire puddings are out of the oven, reduce the temperature to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4.
Add the wild mushrooms to the hot casserole and cook, stirring, for four minutes, until they start to take on colour. Add the shallots and garlic, and fry, stirring, for two or three minutes, just to soften. Add the flour, cook, stirring, for a minute, then return the duck legs to the pan. Pour in the red wine, stock and rosemary, bring to a simmer, then cover and transfer to the oven for an hour and a half.
When the duck is cooked, lift the legs out of the pot and shred all the meat off the bones. Put the casserole on a medium heat and reduce the liquid for about four minutes, until it turns nice and glossy, then stir the shredded duck back into the mix.
Put two hot yorkshire puddings on each plate (reheat them gently in the oven first), and put a large tablespoon of the parfait in the centre of each one. Pile some of the duck and mushroom mixture on top and serve immediately.
