A delicious recipe from the Mercure Southgate

Why not try this delicious duck recipe which will feature in our Graduation Week Menu?

Pan Roasted Duck Breast
Roasted aubergine puree, fine beans, shallot and orange compote

Shallot and Orange Compote:-

Ingredients (makes roughly 12 portions):
- 3 Large Banana shallots, peeled and sliced
- 2 Medium to large Navel oranges (Zest and segmented)
- 100gr sugar
- 250ml orange juice
- 3 cloves of garlic
- 1 Cinnamon stick

Method:
In a medium size sauce pan, sweat the shallots and garlic until translucent. Add the remaining ingredients. Cook until quite thick (we're looking to get a consistency similar to marmalade). Chill immediately and serve cold.

Roasted Aubergine Puree:-

Ingredients:
- 2 Aubergines
- 4 Cloves of Garlic
- 100gr Butter (very soft)
- 100ml Double Cream
- 5 stalks thyme
- Juice of half a lemon

Method:
Cut aubergine in half and then score the meat of it until you are almost piercing the skin. Take garlic cloves and stud into the scores that you have just made. Drizzle with oil, season lightly with salt and pepper and sprinkle with fresh thyme. Roast in the oven, skin side down at 175 degrees Celsius for approximately 25 minutes or until very tender. Let cool at room temperature. Scoop out the inside of the aubergine and puree with the butter and cream and lemon juice. Season with salt and pepper. Chill until ready to re-heat for serving

For the duck:
One breast per person and your guests will leave really happy!
Trim some of the excess fat around the breast, score the fat making a criss-cross pattern. Cooking duck breast is the only thing I will ever put into a cold pan. It helps render down the fat slower and more thoroughly. Cook on medium heat until skin starts browning and crisping up. Place in pre-heated oven at 180 degrees Celsius for 8 minutes. Take out of oven and flip so the skin side is up. Let rest for about 5 minutes before slicing and serving. We always recommend eating duck breast medium rare to medium.

Putting it all together:
For this dish I use fondant potatoes, which is a large potato, peeled and then cut with a ring into a circle and flattened on both sides. I then place them into an oven safe baking tray, fill half way up the potato with chicken stock and sprinkle the top with salt, pepper and thyme. Then roast in the oven until a toothpick will glide easily through the potato.

I am also using fine french beans. For these, I simply top and tail them and boil in gently boiling salted water for 3.5 minutes just before serving. I then drizzle with a bit of clarified butter and sprinkle with salt and pepper!

Plate however you would like, but I would always recommend showing off the lovely pink middle of the duck and the crisp brown skin!

Bon Appétit!

* Graduation Week Menu, available from Sunday 13th to Sunday 20th July 2014.

* To book your table, please contact our Reservations Team on 01392 412812.

Mercure Exeter Southgate Hotel, Southernhay East, Exeter EX1 1QF
www.mercure-exeter-southgate.com