Ingredients

• ½ head red cabbage
• finely sliced
• 15g/1oz coarse sea salt
• 100ml/3½fl oz sesame oil
• 50g/2oz icing sugar
• 50ml/2fl oz dry sherry
• 50ml/2fl oz white wine vinegar
• 10g/½oz fresh root ginger
• finely grated
• 1 red chilli
• finely chopped
• 25g/1oz duck fat
• 2 duckling breasts
• trimmed and skin scored
• 2 confit duck legs
• meat shredded
• 40g/2oz duck fat
• 18 green peppercorns
• crushed
• pinch salt
• 4 large spring roll wrappers (available in Asian grocers)
• 50g/2oz plain flour
• 50ml/2fl oz water
• vegetable oil
• for deep frying
• 4 baby turnips
• 100ml/3½fl oz water
• 40g/2oz butter
• pinch sugar
• 25g/1oz butter
• 1 shallot
• peeled
• finely sliced
• 100g/3½oz button mushrooms
• sliced
• 200ml/7fl oz mead
• 400ml/14fl oz chicken stock
• 25g/1oz butter
• 200ml/7fl oz mead

Directions

• For the spicy red cabbage
• place the red cabbage in a large bowl and sprinkle with the sea salt. Mix well to coat in the salt
• then set aside for 4 hours. Rinse under cold water to wash the salt off
• then set aside until needed.
• Preheat the oven to 220C/425F/gas 7.
• For the duckling breast
• heat an ovenproof frying pan until hot and add the duck fat. When the fat has melted
• add the duckling breasts skin-side down and fry for 4-5 minutes
• or until the skin is crisp and golden-brown. Drain off the fat
• turn the duckling breast over and roast in the oven for 7-8 minutes
• or until golden-brown all over but still slightly pink in the middle. Set aside to rest.
• For the duck 'straws'
• mix together the confit duck meat
• duck fat
• green peppercorns and salt in a bowl.
• Lay the spring roll wrappers on a chopping board and cut each in half lengthways. Mix the flour in a bowl with the water to make a thick paste. Brush down the long side of one end of the sheet with the flour paste.
• Spoon the duck mixture along the length of the wrapper and roll up
• crimping the ends together to seal. Repeat with the remaining spring roll wrappers and duck mixture.
• Half-fill a deep
• heavy-based pan with vegetable oil and heat until a cube of bread dropped in sizzles and turns golden-brown in 30 seconds (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended). Deep fry the duck 'straws' for 1-2 minutes
• or until golden-brown and crisp. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on kitchen paper. Set aside.
• For the spicy red cabbage
• heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan and add the drained shredded cabbage. Fry for 2 minutes
• or until softened slightly but not coloured.
• Push the cabbage to one side of the pan and add the icing sugar to the other side. Once the sugar has melted and begins to caramelise
• add the sherry
• white wine vinegar
• ginger and chilli and mix in the cabbage. Fry for a further 2-3 minutes
• or until the cabbage is tender. Set aside.
• For the baby turnips
• place all of the baby turnip ingredients into a pan and bring to the boil. Cook for 5-6 minutes
• or until the turnips are tender but slightly crunchy. Drain and set aside.
• For the duck sauce
• melt the butter in a pan until foaming
• then add the shallots and mushrooms and fry for 2-3 minutes
• or until softened. Add the mead and cook until the volume of the liquid has reduced by two-thirds
• then add the chicken stock and cook until the volume of the liquid has reduced by half.
• Strain the sauce through a fine sieve
• place back into the pan and whisk in the butter over a medium heat. Keep warm.
• For the mead syrup
• place the mead into a small saucepan and simmer gently over a medium heat until the liquid has reduced to about 50ml/2fl oz and is thick and syrupy.
• To serve
• divide the spicy red cabbage among 4 serving plates. Carve the duckling breasts in half lengthways and arrange a piece on top of each portion of cabbage. Lay two duck 'straws' against the duck and cabbage
• spoon the baby turnips alongside and drizzle the duck sauce over the duck and around the plate. Finish by drizzling the mead syrup over the duck.