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Roast duck with Provencal black figs

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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

  1. Combine the garlic with a pinch of sea salt, to make a fine paste. Stir into 150g/5½oz of the butter and set aside.

  2. Mix the rosemary 50:50 with sea salt in a small bowl.

  3. 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.

  4. Preheat the oven to 210C/190C Fan/Gas 6.

  5. Boil the potato cubes in lightly salted water, until cooked. Steam dry and gently fluff the edges in the colander.

  6. 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.

  7. Heat an ovenproof frying pan and add the duck, frying skin-side down, until golden-brown.

  8. 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.

  9. 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.

  10. Carve the duck and serve with the figs, rosemary potatoes and steamed broccoli. Drizzle with the cassis sauce.