Plum Sauce

Plum sauce is one of those wonderful luxurious sauces that provides brilliant mellow tones, deep flavour that complements a variety of herbs and meats and other vegetables, and works well to balance alot of strong and salty flavours. In particular as a sauce plum goes phenomenally well with duck and game. The use of our own larder items here also makes for easy assembly and construction.

You will need (per serving):

2 tbsp plum relish
200 ml chicken or game stock
sprig of rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

The doing bit:

in a saucepan heat up the plum relish gently. Add the stock and rosemary, bring the mix to the boil stirring occasionally, then simmer until reduced to required thickness. Season where appropriately.

Orange Braised Fennel

image courtesy of leighcourtfarm.org

*Part of the sizzling staffordshire menu series*

I like this as a side dish because its a good accompaniment to alot of game dishes, particularly in the poultry section of the food group such as turkey, duck, pheasant, partridge and guinea fowl etc. The citrus element works very well with  the aniseed element of fennel and provides a nice clean tone to complement game perfectly.

You will need (serves 3):

3 bulbs fennel, halved vetrically, trimmed.
tbsp olive oil
200ml orange juice
200ml chicken or vegetable stock (chicken preferred)
2 cloves of garlic chopped
salt and pepper to season

The doing bit:

Heat the olive oil in a large frying pan, add the fennel and sear each side of each half bulb until coloured. Turn over and repeat, add the orange juice, stock and garlic. Bring to the boil, then cover the pan and lower to a simmer. Cook until fennel is tender (roughly 20 minutes). Remove from liquor and serve.

Confit duck legs

Image courtesy of foord.rlove.org

Confit duck legs are one of those dishes that's incredibly hearty, comforting, homely and generally almost impossible to refuse. Its easy to prepare and cook, and has a long shelf life when stored int he fridge (not that it would need it in my opinion). This recipe makes a batch of 10 legs, which are ideal as a main course or as a starter depending on what you want to do with it. I guarantee enjoyment.

These can be served in a multitude of ways, as a simple part of a roast meal, with salads or even with a puree where necessary. They're incredibly versatile.

You will need (makes roughly 10 servings):


10 Duck Legs
2 kilo of duck fat

For the dry marinade

500g of rock salt
4 Star anise
100g of Juniper berries
50g of cinnamon
50g of Cracked black pepper
4 Lemons zested
60g of Ginger
2 Sticks of Lemon grass

The doing bit:


Blend the star anise, berries, rock salt, cinnamon and black pepper in a food processor.

Peel and chop the ginger in to strips, and break down the lemon grass into small pieces

Place the duck legs in a plastic container, cover the legs with the salt mixture and the ginger, lemon zest and lemon grass cover with cling film and stand in a fridge for 12 - 24 hours

Wipe off the salt, place in a roasting tray; cover in melted duck fat, cover the tray with greaseproof paper, cook 2 to 2 ½ hours in a low oven (roughly 150 / 160C, until the meat is tender

Remove from the oven leave to cool in the duck fat, decant the legs into a clean container, recover the fat by passing through a sieve and placing in a cool area

To roast and crisp up place duck leg in a hot oiled pan and seal over in the oil then finish in the oven

Poached duck egg / black pudding / grlled portobello mushroom / horseradish cream

Image courtesy of jessicalettucetomato.wordpress.com

*part of the sizzling-staffordshire menu series*

This is a wonderful dish, and in combination provides great balance of flavour, texture and general yummyness. I suppose it could be easily attributed to being a breakfast dish, but in the same respect it goes well equally as a light lunch or even as a main course starter.

You will need (per serving):

1 duck egg (large or small its up to you)
1 large portobello mushroom, stallk removed.
1 large round slice of black pudding (roughly 1/2 inch in thickness). if you can only get a smaller one, dont worry. We can rework the arrangement.
1/2 tsp creamed horseradish.
35ml white wine or vermouth.
100ml double or whipping cream.
1/2 tsp chopped chives
1.2 tsp chopped parsley
1/2 tsp fresh thyme.
sea salt and black pepper.
2 tbsp white vinegar.

The doing bit:

Combine the herbs in a small bowl and mix. Season the mushroom (top side down) with the salt, pepper and a pinch of the herbs. Add a little oil (no more than 1/4 tsp) and then grill on a moderate heat along side the black pudding until the mushroom is soft to touch, and the black pudding has cooked also.

Add some ater to a saucepan and heat until boiling. add the vinegar and some pepper and turn to a simmer. Add the egg and bring up the heat a little until the egg is poached to desired preference. Remove from the liquor, then allow to dry on a piece of kitchen towel.

For the cream: Heat up the white wine and then add the cream to a pan. Add the horseradish and simmer gently for about 3 mintues until the mixture has thickened.

Assemble as follows: black pudding, mushroom on top then poached egg (in the well where the mushroom stalk was). Serve with a small amount of cream on top of the egg and the rest around. Garnish with the remaining herbs and devour.