This delicious pan-fried duck with a cheesy mushroom risotto is perfect for these cold UK winter nights. Other than having to go and specifically buy the duck, most of the other ingredients are likely to be cupboard staples that you have anyway.
You could make the mushroom risotto and top with any pan-fried meat that you have in the fridge, although a red meat or gamey meat just ‘feels’ more warming to me.
Serve with a lovely robust glass of red wine, which will complement the flavours of the duck and the parmesan cheese.
Motorhome cooking facilities and equipment needed . . .
- This can be made on two gas burners
- Could be made on the BBQ
- Needs constant attention for 25 mins.
- 1 saucepans needed (for stock)
- 2 frying pans – (one for duck breast and one for risotto)
- wooden spoon or spatular
- knife for choppin
The ingredients
For the duck:
- 2 duck breasts
- Salt & pepper to season
For the risotto:
- 50g porcini/shitake mushrooms (soaked as per instructions) *optional
- Couple of cloves of garlic
- 1.5 cups of aborio rice
- Stock cube or stock (either duck or vegetable)
- * 100g fresh mushrooms – sliced (any type or a mix)
- Small onion
- tblsp butter
- 1 tblsp olive oil (or just use more butter if your olive oil has gone cloudy like ours !!)
- 50g parmesan cheese
*use an extra 50g if you are not using porcini/shitake mushrooms
For Serving
- a shaving of parmesan
- a drizzle of olive oil
- some chopped fresh parsley (if you grow it in your van)
The cooking
For the risotto:
- Take the frying pan and heat the oil to saute your chopped garlic and onions for a couple of minutes
- Add the aborio rice and combine it with the onions and garlic until it is all well coated and glossy with oil.
- Meanwhile, heat your stock up in the other saucepan until it boils, then reduce the heat to keep the stock warm.
- Add the stock to the rice, one ladle at a time, stirring occasionally until the stock is absorbed.
- Repeat this process until the rice is aldente. (you can just add more water to the stock if you seem to have run out).
- Once the rice is aldente, add the porcini/shitake mushrooms, the sliced mushrooms and the butter.
- Season with black pepper
For the duck:
Turn on the oven/light the BBQ/Heat up the frying pan. . . .
- Dry the duck breasts and score the skin to allow the fat to render down.
- Sear the breasts in the frying pan with the skin down until the skin is golden (5 or 6 mins) and well cooked. seal the breast for a minute on all other sides.
- From here you can go three ways –
- wrap it in foil and put it high on the BBQ whilst you finish the rice.
- finish it gently in the frying pan whilst you finish the rice
- pop it in the oven for 8 – 10 minutes whilst you finish the rice
- Rest the duck for 5 minutes before serving..
To Serve
- Stir in the parmesan to create a nice creamy cheesy sauce
- Serve risotto on warm plates, carve the duck breast into lovely chunky slices and shave some parmesan over the top with a drizzle of olive oil.
Previous
Next
Tips and cheats . . .
- Sear the skin of the duck breast and wrap in foil to keep warm and reuse the frying pan to make the risotto. Those lovely flavours will be absorbed into the rice to give it an extra depth of flavour
- Sear the duck breasts and then wrap in foil (or use the metal food tins for the more eco option) to keep it warm and put it high on the BBQ whilst you cook the rice over the fire.
