Duck breast with redcurrant sauce
The Take 5 recipe for duck breast with parsley root purée and redcurrant sauce was created by Maurizio Oster, a chef at the Hamburg restaurant Zeik.
- 2 duck breasts
- 300 g Petersilienwurzel
- 300 g currants, picked and washed
- 100g fried onions (ready-made product)
- 1 bunch of chives
- 2. Butter
- 600 ml Gemüsfond
- Salt
- 100g sugar + some to taste
- 100 ml blackcurrant juice
- 3 shallots
- 3 tablespoons of vegetable oil
- a sprig each of thyme and rosemary
- 100 ml red wine
- 100 ml port wine
- a little cornstarch mixed with cold water
- Meat thermometer
- Remove the skin from the duck breasts and cut it into thin strips. Then slowly render the strips in a (initially) cold pan until only crispy cracklings remain. Drain the cracklings on kitchen paper and set aside.
- Peel the parsley roots and slowly sauté them in butter until soft, gradually adding 200 ml of vegetable stock. Then blend and season with salt and a little sugar.
- Caramelize 100g of sugar in a saucepan, add the currants. Deglaze with the currant juice and reduce by half. Remove 4 tablespoons of berries, blend the rest and set aside.
- For the redcurrant sauce, peel the shallots, slice them into strips, and sauté them in vegetable oil. Add the thyme and rosemary. Deglaze with red wine and port, then add 400 ml of vegetable stock. Reduce the sauce by half, strain it through a sieve, and season with two-thirds of the fruit purée and salt. Thicken with cornstarch if necessary.
- Briefly blend the fried onions and duck cracklings. Finely chop the chives.
- Preheat the oven to 120°C. Salt the duck breasts, sear them briefly over high heat, and then cook them in the oven until they reach an internal temperature of 54°C (using a meat thermometer) (10-12 minutes). Remove the meat and let it rest for 3 minutes.
- Spread the duck breasts with the remaining redcurrant purée, sprinkle with fried onions, duck cracklings, and chives, and place on plates. Arrange the parsley root purée on top, pour over the sauce, and add 1 tablespoon of redcurrants to each serving.
Wine recommendation from restaurant manager and sommelier Tobias Greve:
The currant glaze on the duck is complemented and enhanced by the intense berry flavor of the blend of 95 percent Merlot and 5 percent Cabernet Sauvignon. At the same time, its wonderful roasted notes help to beautifully unite the onions and the roasted flavors of the duck on the palate.
Concept: Young, casual fine dining with a focus on creative, regional, and seasonal vegetable compositions. Two menus, one of which is vegetarian. Cuisine: Maurizio Oster has further refined his individual style; his dishes, each of which explores a main ingredient with sophisticated flair, have gained in quality. For example, "Carrot" is presented as a cube of mashed carrots, ragout, mousse with herb oil, carrot buttermilk sauce, and a crispy roll with smoked carrot purée. Aromatic saddle of venison with a walnut and celery praline, a classically intense jus, and further celery variations. Wonderfully smooth and easy to eat with a spoon: "Chicken 2020" with leg ragout, fat foam, liver ice cream, and chive oil. Perfect harmony in the finale with mandarin orange, tarragon, and quark, paired with the 2018 Riesling Spätlese Bockstein from Nik Weis. New: a cheese trolley and a spirits trolley. Wine: Sommelier Tobias Greve has also revamped his wine list, featuring many top German estates with extensive vintages, as well as exquisite wines from the Coravin system. Surprising non-alcoholic options include pear juice with smoked cream. Atmosphere: The largely new service team under Nena-Sophia Richards is energetic. The redesigned layout (room dividers, colorful paintings, more tables instead of a private room) is a definite improvement. Conclusion: Maurizio Oster has stepped up his game in every respect while keeping prices reasonable, which is also attracting a younger clientele.