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Ingredients

  • Ingredients

For the roasted potatoes

  • 10 King Edward potatoes, peeled, cut into large chunks
  • 50g/2oz lard, dripping or vegetable oil
  • 2 pinches sea salt

For the duck

  • 4 duck breasts, trimmed, fat scored
  • 4 ready-made confit duck legs, separated into drumstick and thighs
  • 125ml/4ýfl oz duck fat
  • 75g/3oz shelled pistachio nuts, roughly chopped
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the red wine jus

  • 110ml/4fl oz red wine
  • 200ml/7fl oz concentrated beef stock
  • 1-2 tsp balsamic vinegar
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the spinach

  • 25g/1oz butter
  • 400g/14oz baby spinach leaves
  • pinch freshly grated nutmeg
  • salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  • STEP 1
    1. Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
  • STEP 2
    2. For the roast potatoes, simmer the potatoes in a large pan of salted water for 4-5 minutes, or until the outside of the potatoes are beginning to soften.
  • STEP 3
    3. Drain the potatoes and briefly shake them around in the colander or pan to roughen up the edges.
  • STEP 4
    4. Melt the lard in a deep flame-proof roasting tray on a high heat and fry the potatoes on each side until they begin to brown.
  • STEP 5
    5. Sprinkle with salt, to taste, and roast for 30 minutes, or until starting to turn golden-brown and crisp.
  • STEP 6
    6. Turn and return to the oven for a further 20-30 minutes.
  • STEP 7
    7. Meanwhile, for the duck, heat a large ovenproof frying pan until medium hot, add the duck breasts skin side down and cook for 2-3 minutes over a medium heat to render the fat and crisp the skin.
  • STEP 8
    8. Add the confit drumsticks to the pan and roast the duck for 4-5 minutes, then remove from the oven and set aside to rest for 4-5 minutes.
  • STEP 9
    9. Meanwhile, remove the bones from the duck thigh and blend the meat and a little of the duck fat in a food processor until you have a coarse purée.
  • STEP 10
    10. Transfer to a bowl and mix in the pistachio nuts and enough duck fat to give a medium consistency pâté. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • STEP 11
    11. For the red wine jus, heat a saucepan until hot, add the red wine and bring to the boil, then cook until the volume is reduced by half. Add the beef stock and cook until the volume has reduced by half again. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • STEP 12
    12. For the spinach, heat a frying pan until hot, add the butter, spinach and nutmeg and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until wilted. Season, to taste, with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  • STEP 13
    13. To serve, carve the duck breast into slices, on the diagonal. Place a 10cm/4in shallow ring into the centre of a plate. Fill with a 1cm/ýin layer of duck pâté. Remove the ring and top with a quarter of the wilted spinach. Place a roasted drumstick on top and fan one duck breast around. Pile a quarter of the roasted potatoes alongside and spoon a little red wine jus over the duck. Repeat for the other 3 plates
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