Thornhill duck breast with textures of carrot and orange

The Recipes / Meat

2 large duck breasts
200ml fresh orange juice
2 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
2 sprigs thyme
2 cloves

Aromatics
Pine needles
Peel from 2 of the juiced oranges
2 cinnamon sticks, flaked

Carrot purée
1 large carrot, diced
250ml cream
100g butter
100ml cider

Carrot jam
1 large carrot, grated
100g sugar
100g butter
2 star anise
1 clove
3 peppercorns

Orange gel
100ml fresh orange juice
1tsp ultratex

www.thelodgeac.com

Serves 4

Marinate the duck breasts in the combined orange juice, herb and spices for 24 hours in the fridge.

Mix all the carrot purée ingredients in a thermomix at 90˚C for 20 minutes.

Stew the ingredients for the carrot jam together in a small pan over a low heat until the carrot is tender.

Whisk the orange juice and utratex with 10ml of water until set to a gel.

When ready, fry the duck skin side down until very crispy, then turn and cook for 2 more minutes. Remove the duck from the pan and spread the pine needles, orange peel and cinnamon sticks over the base. Return the breasts to the pan and finish in the oven at 180˚C for 6 minutes. Rest for a minute before carving.

Spoon purée onto the plate with a quenelle of jam and dots of the gel. Add the half duck breast and serve.