Roast duck with Provencal black figs
A bistro-style duck dish, served with black figs, cassis and buttery fried rosemary potatoes on the side.
Ingredients
- 1 garlic clove, crushed
- 175g/6oz unsalted butter, softened
- 3 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped
- 2-3 ripe Provencal black figs (alternatively use Turkish black figs), cut into quarters
- icing sugar (optional)
- 1 sprig fresh thyme, leaves picked
- good splash cassis
- vegetable oil, for deep frying
- 1 large, good chipping potato, chopped into rough cubes a little bigger than 1cm/½ in
- 1 free-range duck breast
- small bunch tenderstem broccoli
- flaked sea salt
Method
Combine the garlic with a pinch of sea salt, to make a fine paste. Stir into 150g/5½oz of the butter and set aside.
Mix the rosemary 50:50 with sea salt in a small bowl.
Heat the remaining butter in a frying pan and add the figs and a sprinkle of icing sugar, if using. Cook, until lightly caramelised. Stir in the thyme leaves and season with the rosemary salt. Deglaze the pan with the cassis, simmer for a moment and set aside.
Preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6.
Boil the potato cubes in lightly salted water, until cooked. Steam dry and gently fluff the edges in the colander.
Heat the oil in a deep fat fryer or large pan to 190C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Fry the potatoes until crisp and golden-brown. Carefully remove and put on a plate lined with kitchen paper. Remove the kitchen paper and add the garlic butter, toss together with a good sprinkle of rosemary salt.
Heat an ovenproof frying pan and add the duck, frying skin-side down, until golden-brown.
Transfer the pan to the preheated oven and continue to cook skin-side down for about 6 minutes (depending on the size of the breast). Remove from the oven and leave the duck to rest for about 5 minutes skin-side up.
Put the broccoli into a steamer or colander set over a pan of boiling water. Cover with a lid or tight-fitting foil and steam for 5 minutes.
Carve the duck and serve with the figs, rosemary potatoes and steamed broccoli. Drizzle with the cassis sauce.