Wild Duck and Woodcock Breasts Platter

 

Wild duck and woodcock breasts with cheesy potatoes

Wild game of many different types are often incorporated together in pies - or perhaps terrines - but in this instance, I simply took two distinct types of game and cooked and served them in what I believed would be a complementary fashion. It was a couple of weeks ago now that I was fortunate enough to obtain some end of season wild duck and woodcocks and this is one of the dishes I came up with.

Cook Time

Prep time: 45 min (includes boiled potato cooling time)

Cook time: 45 min

Ready in: 1 hour 30 min

Yields: 1 serving

Ingredients

• 1 medium sized, baking type potato
• Salt
• 1 skinless wild duck breast
• 2 skinless woodcock breasts
• Black pepper
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 4 Brussels sprouts
• 2 slices of Scottish cheddar cheese, approximately same size as potato slices
• 1 farm fresh duck egg (or chicken egg, as fresh as possible)
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Pinch of dried dill to garnish poached egg
• 2 teaspoons onion chutney (or similar, as desired)

Method

Wash the potato but do not chop or peel. Add to a pot of cold water and bring to a simmer for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool.

Wild goose breast is put on to fry

When the potato has been cooling for about 15 minutes, pour a little oil into a medium frying pan. Season the duck breast with salt and pepper and put it on to fry over a medium heat for 5 minutes each side. It is important to time this and not simply go by an approximation. This cooking time has been tried and tested many times and you do not want to overcook the meat as it will very quickly become tough and unpalatable.

Woodcock breast are added to frying pan with duck

When the duck breast is turned, season the woodcock breasts and add them to the pan to fry for 2.5 minutes each side.

Add the sprouts to a pot of boiling, salted water and simmer for 10 minutes.

Cut the potato in half lengthways. Trim a thin slice off the skin/curved edge of each potato half that it can lay flat in the frying pan.

Potato discs are fried in meat juices

Lift the breast and woodcock breasts to a holding plate and cover with foil. Allow to rest for 5 minutes. Lay the potato halves in the still hot pan with the larger flat area sides down first. Fry on medium to high for 2.5 minutes each side.

Add a couple of inches (5cm) of cold water to a small saucepan with the white wine vinegar. Put on to a high heat until the water starts to simmer. Do not add salt to the water.

Cheese slices are laid on frying potato slices

When the potato slices are turned in the frying pan, lay a slice of cheese on top of each one, season with a little black pepper and complete cooking in this way.

Break the duck egg carefully into a glass or cup. Hold the glass just above the simmering water (don't let it touch the water!) and gently pour the duck egg into the water in one smooth, fluid movement. Adjust the heat to simmer as gently as possible for 3.5 minutes. 

Duck breast and cheesy slices are plated

Lift the rested duck breast to the centre of an oval plate as shown and lay a cheesy potato slice at each end.

Woodcock and sprouts are added to platter

Drain the sprouts at your sink through a colander. Lift the woodcock breasts to a chopping board and cut in half at a slight angle with a carving knife. Lay two halves as shown on each cheesy potato slice. Arrange the sprouts either side of the duck breast with a spoonful of chutney between the sprouts on each side.

Poached duck egg is plate on duck breast sillet

A slotted spoon should be used to lift the poached duck egg from the water. Allow it to drain on the spoon for a few seconds before carefully laying on top of the duck breast. Season with a little salt and garnish with a little dill.

Beautifully pink woodcock breast fillet

The woodcock breasts in particular should be pink in the middle and beautifully, melt in the mouth tender.

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.