Atanu Nath is chef de cuisine for Le Deck at Monte-Carlo Beach Club, Saadiyat. He’s provided TOAD with a main course menu to wow your family.
Main course:
Roasted duck breast with cherries
Ingredients
Baby vegetables
2 handfuls baby carrots
2 handfuls baby leeks
2 handfuls baby beetroot
2 handfuls baby turnip
Sauerkraut
1 white cabbage
500g beef bacon
2 tsps caraway seeds
3 cloves garlic
2 Spanish onions, sliced
1 sprig thyme
950ml chicken stock
250g butter
Vegetable oil
Salt and pepper to taste
Fondant potato
2 large potatoes
Vegetable oil
1ltr chicken stock
2 cloves garlic
1 handful thyme sprigs
1 knob butter
Duck jus
2kg of duck bones
1 onion
1 carrot
1 leek
1 clove garlic
1 sprig thyme
475ml veal jus
750ml water
1 vanilla pod
1 star anise
12 jarred morello cherries
To serve
1 handful baby beetroot
1 handful cress
Method
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/Gas mark 4.
2 Trim excess fat from duck breasts. Place skin-side down into medium-hot pan for 5 mins, turning until golden. Put in oven for 4 mins for medium rare.
3 Peel and trim baby veg and blanch in boiling salted water for 2 mins. Place veg in iced water to stop cooking.
4 Remove the veg from the water and place in the fridge.
5 Cut two large potatoes in half length ways. Cut two cylinder-shaped potatoes from them using a 3cm cutter.
6 Heat a sauté pan, add vegetable oil, then sauté the potato standing up till golden. Add chicken stock, bring to boil.
7 Add garlic, thyme and butter and place in the oven for 8 mins.
8 Finely slice cabbage and set to one side. Slice beef bacon and place in a bowl with caraway seeds. Peel and chop garlic, add to beef. Heat a pan, add oil then beef bacon, fry for 2 mins.
9 Add onions and thyme. Fry for 5 mins. Pour in chicken stock and cabbage, cook for 1-2 hours.
10 Once the cabbage has cooked and the chicken stock has reduced, add butter.
11 Place duck bones and veg on a tray in oven until golden. Remove and place in pan. Pour over veal jus, add thyme and star anise and top with water if required.
12 Boil stock. Skim impurities from top. Simmer for 4 hours then pass through a fine cloth.
13 Add vanilla pods and duck stock and reduce to a gravy-like consistency. Add cherries or vanilla as desired.
14 Remove the duck breasts from oven and rest for 5 mins. Heat the duck jus in a small pan.
15 In another small pan heat caraway cabbage and place 1 tbsp on each plate. Top with one fondant potato.
16 Cut duck breast in half length ways. Cut each half into three across the fillet to form duck nuggets. Arrange duck around the fondant potato.
17 In a sauté pan, add a knob of butter and sauté baby veg for 1-2 mins. Season and arrange on and around the duck nuggets.
18 Drop cherries into the hot duck jus and spoon around the dish.
Garnish with baby beetroot and cress. Serve immediately.
