Ingredients
- Bourbon whisky (100 milliliters)
- Cherry brandy (50 milliliters)
- 1 tablespoon of angostura bitters
- Handful of muscavado sugar (50g)
- A few sprigs of rosemary
- A few sprigs of thyme
- 2 duck breasts
- Large maris piper potatoes (800g)
- Whole milk (150 milliliters)
- Unsalted butter (150g)
- 2 endives
- 3 tablespoons of caster sugar
- A glug of vermouth
- A handful of kirsch soaked cherries
Steps
- Add the bourbon, kirsch, bitters, sugar, rosemary and thyme into a large bowl for the marinade.
- Submerge the duck breasts in the marinade and leave in the fridge for at least 2 hours (preferably overnight).
- Preheat the oven to 180°C.
- Scatter the potatoes with plenty of salt and bake for 1 1/4 hours.
- Melt the butter in the milk and keep warm.
- Use a clean tea towel to peel the hot baked potatoes.
- Mash the potato middles using a potato ricer (or a masher) and season well.
- Stir the milk and butter into the potatoes a little at a time, incorporating well and keep the mash warm.
- Remove the duck breasts from the marinade. Dry them well.
- Season the duck and place skin side down in a dry pan.
- Cook the breasts over a medium heat, discarding any fat every so often.
- Remove the ducks from the heat when the skin is deep golden brown and crispy (about 10 minutes).
- Turn the duck breasts over and put the pan in the oven for 10 minutes.
- Halve the endives then remove the cores and the outermost leaves.
- Sprinkle the endives with 1 tablespoon of caster sugar and place in a hot dry pan.
- Caramelise well, then pour in the marinade, vermouth and chuck in the cherries.
- Cover the endive and cook for 5 minutes, until tender. Remove the endive, turn the heat up and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of caster sugar.
- Bubble the remaining marinade until it becomes a sticky sauce.
- Serve the duck with a good helping of mash, a half of endive and a generous drizzle of sauce.