Pan‑fried Wild Duck with Mustard Sauce

Ingredients

• 2 sprigs thyme
• 1 bunch Basil
• 1 bunch parsley
• 8 carrots
• 4 parsley roots
• 2 untreated oranges
• 4 Garlic cloves
• 4 shallots
• 300 g Sugar snap peas
• 2 pre‑cooked wild ducks (about 800 g each)
• 4 Tbsp sweet cream butter
• black pepper (freshly ground)
• 4 star anise
• 2 tbsp mustard seeds
• 60 ml Grand Marnier
• 2 tsp cane sugar
• Sea salt

Instructions

1. 1.

   Wash the herbs thoroughly, shake dry and chop finely. Peel the carrots and parsley roots, halve them and set aside the skins. Wash the oranges, grate the zest and juice the fruit. Peel garlic and shallots; wash snap peas and trim ends.

2. 2.

   Rinse the ducks and pat dry; remove breast and legs from the carcasses. Make a stock by simmering bones, 300 ml water and vegetable skins.

3. 3.

   Preheat the oven to 70 °C (140 °F) with upper and lower heat.

4. 4.

   Melt butter over medium heat in a pan; brown the vegetable halves on both sides for 4 minutes each and remove. Season the ducks, then sear the legs for 10 minutes. Add thyme, garlic, shallots, star anise, mustard seeds and breast pieces skin‑side down to the pan; flip and brown each side for 7–8 minutes. Transfer all to the preheated oven and roast for 1 hour 30 minutes.

5. 5.

   Add the stock to the pan and reduce slightly. Stir in orange juice, parsley, basil, orange zest, Grand Marnier, cane sugar, snap peas, carrots and parsley roots; simmer for 10 minutes.

6. 6.

   Place the duck pieces over the vegetables, season with salt and pepper and serve.