International hotel group Relais & Châteaux have announced ‘Menus for Change’ globally including six of their British hotel’s as part of Slow Food’s Food for Change campaign.
Taking place from 4th – 7th October 2018 in 100 of Relais & Châteaux’s properties worldwide, chefs will prepare Slow Food validated menus for guests to experience in their restaurants. Through Menus for Change, Relais & Châteaux hopes to inspire people around the world to be more mindful about our food system, which is responsible for 30% of greenhouse gas emissions.
Dishes will showcase sustainable ingredients that will help combat climate change and protect biodiversity, highlighting the association’s commitment to preserving local heritage and the environment.
The Food for Change campaign aims to create awareness of Slow Food’s mission to inspire change for good, clean and fair food for all. Six properties in the UK and Ireland are taking part: The Idle Rocks, Cornwall – Palé Hall, North Wales – Sheen Falls Lodge, Ireland – Summer Lodge, Dorset – Chewton Glen, Hampshire – Glenapp Castle, Scotland.
One of the recipes is featured below.
Roast Duck with Chicory, Duck Liver and Walnuts
Menus for Change – Sheen Falls Lodge
Ingredients
Serves 2
- 1 whole duck
- 2 slices duck liver (foie gras)
- 1 baby chicory
- 200ml orange juice
- 20g apricot puree
- 3 tbsp golden raisins
- 20g shimeji mushrooms
- 2 tbsp white balsamic vinegar
- 50g mooli
- 50g walnuts, finely chopped
For the duck sauce
- 100ml runny honey
- 100ml fresh orange juice
- 100ml port
- 1L chicken stock
- 1 piece orange peel
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 cardamom pods
- 1 star anise
- 1 shallot, sliced
- 1 bay leaf
Method
- Begin by making the duck sauce, remove the two breasts from the duck and set aside. Break down the remaining duck carcass and roast in the oven at 180C for roughly 30-45 minutes until golden and caramelised. While that is roasting, add the remaining ingredients to a sauce pan bar the chicken stock. Reduce the liquid by half before adding the duck bones and topping up with chicken stock. Simmer the sauce for up to 1 hour until thickened and glossy, season to taste. Strain the sauce to remove all the bones and flavourings.
- For the braised chicory, half the chicory lengthwise and place into a small roasting dish. Top with the orange juice and cover with foil. Roast in the oven for 10-15 minutes until the chicory is tender and the orange juice has reduced.
- Peel the mooli and use an apple corer to cut out cylinders. Steam over a medium heat until just tender and remove.
- For the mushrooms, flash fry them in a hot pan for 30 seconds, before deglazing with the white balsamic.
- Score the skin of the duck and place in a hot frying pan, skin side down, to render out some of the fat. Once the skin is nice and crispy, flip the duck over and cook in the oven at 180C for 8-10 minutes until blushing pink in the centre. Let it rest for up to 10 minutes.
- While the duck is resting, fry the duck liver in a frying pan over a medium – high heat to get a caramelised crust on the outside.
- When you are ready to serve, top the duck breast and liver with the walnut. Place the apricot puree on the plate, topped with the pieces of mooli. Follow this with the duck breast, liver and chicory and a scattering of the mushrooms. Finish with the duck sauce and serve.