Wild Duck Breast with Sweet Potatoes

 

Tender wild duck breast with sweet potato mash and asparagus

Wild duck is an entirely different eating experience from supermarket or particularly takeaway bought duck. I have heard a few people say they don't like duck as they have only ever tried the fatty, tough and greasy types of duck breasts that are generally offered in a commercial sense. These wild Scottish duck breasts are lean, darker in colour and full of intense, delicious, gamey flavour. Because they are not fatty like those other aforementioned duck breasts, they do require cooking in an alternative fashion. Sweet potato is a perfect accompaniment and in this instance I have served it mashed with a little butter and ground cumin.

Cook Time

Prep time: 5 min

Cook time: 20 min

Ready in: 25 min

Yields: 1 serving

Wild duck breast fillet

Ingredients

• 2 medium sized sweet potatoes, peeled and chopped to 1.5 inch/4cm chunks
• Salt
• 1 wild duck breast fillet, skin on
• Black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 6 to 8 asparagus spears, trimmed
• Butter
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
• Dried oregano to garnish (optional)

Method

Put the sweet potato chunks into a large saucepan of cold, salted water, ensuring they are all comfortably submerged. Put the pan on to a high heat until the water reaches a simmer. Adjust the heat to maintain a gentle to medium simmer for 15 to 20 minutes, until the pieces are just softened.

Wild duck breast fillet is put on to fry

When the sweet potatoes are simmering, pour a little vegetable oil into a non-stick frying pan or skillet and bring it up to a high heat. Season the duck breast on its skin side with salt only and on the flesh side with salt and pepper. Lay it skin side down in the hot oil and reduce the heat to medium to high. Fry for about 7 or 8 minutes until the breast looks from the side as though it's about 3/4 the way cooked through.

Duck breast is turned to fry on flesh side

Turn the duck breast on to its flesh side and reduce the heat under the pan to low to medium. Continue to fry for another 2 to 3 minutes on the flesh side before lifting to a plate and covering with foil to rest. Leave the pan on the hob as you will need it again (unwashed) to cook the asparagus.

When the sweet potatoes are just softened, drain through a colander at your sink and return to the empty pot. Let them sit for 2 to3 minutes to steam off. This allows the excess moisture to evaporate and prevents soggy mash.

Asparagus spears are added to hot frying pan.

Bring the frying pan used to cook the duck breast back up to a fairly high heat and add the asparagus spears, along with a little bit of butter. Season with salt and pepper and cook on a fairly high heat for 2 to 3 minutes, shaking the pan gently on a regular basis to turn the asparagus and ensure they cook evenly.

Seasoned sweet potatoes are ready for mashing

Add the cumin and a little bit of butter to the sweet potatoes and mash with a hand masher until just smooth.

Duck is laid on sweet potato mash bed to serve

Spoon the sweet potato mash on to one half of a square serving plate and spread it out roughly to serve as a bed for the duck. Lift the asparagus on to the other half of the plate and drizzle with a little of the cooking juices.

Lift the duck breast to a chopping board and slice through the skin at a slight angle in to 4 or 5 thick pieces before arranging on top of the sweet potato bed. Garnish if desired with a little sprinkle of dried oregano.