Thirlmere duck breast with braised leg with silverbeet, chestnut purée & pine mushroom soil
Serves: 4

To cook the duck leg – heat some vegetable oil in a pan over a high heat. Season the duck legs with black and white pepper and brown on both sides, then transfer to a saucepan. Add the jus and chicken stock and bring to a gentle simmer. Simmer for 3 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. Remove the legs from the pot and reduce the liquid to a rich jus. Once cooled, pick the duck meat from the bones. Shred the meat and combine with 30ml of the jus and the butter. Place onto a large sheet of cling wrap, then roll into a tight cylinder, tying both ends. Refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

For the chestnut purée – place the butter, milk and chestnuts into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until the chestnuts have softened. Strain, reserving the liquid, and place the chestnuts into a blender or food processor. Blend, slowly adding the cooking liquid to form a smooth purée. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

To make the pine mushroom soil – preheat an oven to 175°C. Place all the ingredients onto lined baking tray and roast for 5-10 minutes, or until aromatic. Place into a food processor and blend to a rough soil texture.

For the braised silverbeet – sauté the onion, garlic, thyme and butter in a pot over a medium heat for 5-10 minutes, or until the onion has softened and browned slightly. Add the chicken stock and silverbeet, cover and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and strain off the excess stock. Place the silverbeet into a food processor and blend lightly with the parmesan to a thick and textured purée. Season to taste.

To cook the duck breasts – preheat an oven to 200°C. Place the breasts skin-side down in an oven-proof pan over a low heat. Render the fat until the skin is golden brown. Increase the heat, finish browning the skin, then turn and place the pan into the oven for 5 minutes to finish cooking.

To serve – slice the duck leg cylinder into 1cm portions. Coat with flour and pan fry in vegetable oil until golden brown. Halve the duck breasts and place a on a plate with the duck leg portions. Add some warmed silverbeet and chestnut purée and finish with the mushroom soil.