Duck Breast with Potato Puffballs and Rhubarb Red Cabbage

Ingredients

• 2 duck breast fillets (pre‑cooked, about 350 g)
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 1 tsp tomato paste
• 150 ml dry red wine
• 250 ml duck stock
• 1 small red cabbage
• 2 onions
• 2 Cloves of garlic
• 2 tbsp Vegetable oil
• 200 ml red wine
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 star anise
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 300 g rhubarb
• 600 g mostly waxy potatoes
• 2 egg yolks
• 2 tsp potato starch (depending on potato variety)
• Nutmeg (freshly grated)
• vegetable oil (for frying)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 100°C fan‑forced.

2. 2.

   Wash, pat dry and score the duck breasts in a diamond pattern. Season with salt and pepper and brown them skin side down for about 5 minutes in a hot pan. Flip briefly and place on a parchment‑lined tray. Roast in the preheated oven for 30–35 minutes until pink inside. Drain all but 1 tbsp of fat, stir in tomato paste, let it color slightly, deglaze with red wine, add stock, season, and reduce to half over medium heat.

3. 3.

   Quarter the cabbage and remove the tough core. Slice or shave into fine strips. Peel the onions; dice one finely, and use the other with garlic cloves as a flavoring skewer.

4. 4.

   Heat oil in a pot and sauté the onions until translucent. Add the cabbage, cook briefly, deglaze with wine. Add the onion‑garlic skewers, bay leaf, star anise, and cinnamon. Cover and simmer gently for about 20 minutes. Remove the lid, add vinegar, season, and continue to simmer quietly for another 30 minutes. Wash, trim, and cut rhubarb into small pieces; stir into the cabbage mixture. Cook for 5 more minutes and adjust seasoning.

5. 5.

   Peel and grate the potatoes. Wrap in a damp kitchen towel and squeeze out excess moisture. Let the potato juice sit briefly, then drain so that the released starch remains at the bottom of the bowl. Mix grated potatoes with egg yolk and potato starch, season with salt and nutmeg.

6. 6.

   Form small mounds of the mixture and place them in a lightly oiled pan (preferably non‑stick). Flatten slightly and fry 2–3 minutes until golden brown. Flip and cook another 2–3 minutes to finish. Drain on paper towels.

7. 7.

   Remove the duck breast from the oven, let rest briefly, then slice into strips.

8. 8.

   Arrange the cabbage and potato puffballs on warmed plates, drizzle with sauce, and serve.