Ingredients

• 300g/10½oz celeriac
• peeled
• chopped 3cm/1½in pieces
• 600m/21¼fl oz full-fat milk
• pinch sea salt
• 40g/1½oz unsalted butter
• squeeze fresh lemon juice
• 150g/5¼oz blackberries
• 1 clove
• 2 juniper berries
• crushed
• ½ fresh bay leaf
• small sprig fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp sugar
• knob of butter
• 1 shallot
• sliced
• 50g/1¾oz field mushrooms
• sliced
• 100ml/3½fl oz ruby port
• 100ml/3½fl oz red wine
• 2 wild ducks
• cleaned
• 2 tbsp duck fat
• caramelised diced apple
• blackberries
• deep-fried celeriac crisps

Directions

• For the celeriac purée
• place the celeriac
• milk and the salt into a heavy-based pan and bring to the boil. Reduce the heat and simmer gently for 15-20 minutes
• or until the celeriac is tender.
• Drain the celeriac
• reserving the milk. Leave in the colander for 5 minutes to drive off any excess steam
• then purée in a food processor or blender until smooth
• using a little of the milk to help get the right consistency.
• Heat a frying pan until hot
• add the butter and cook until it is a light nut-brown colour
• then remove from the heat and stir into the celeriac purée with the lemon juice. Cover and leave to one side.
• For the blackberry sauce place the blackberries in a bowl and sprinkle over the clove
• juniper berries
• bay leaf
• thyme and sugar and set aside.
• Melt the butter in a small pan and fry the shallot and mushrooms over a medium heat for 5 minutes
• or until softened and light golden-brown. Stir in the port and wine and carefully set alight (CAUTION: stand well away from the flames)
• then add the blackberries and a pinch of salt.
• Gently simmer the sauce for 10 minutes
• then purée in a blender or food processor. Strain the sauce through a fine sieve and set aside.
• For the duck
• preheat the oven to 180C/350F/Gas 4.
• In a large frying pan on a medium heat
• fry the ducks on their legs in the duck fat for 7 minutes each leg
• or until pale golden-brown (this is to give them a head start as they need more cooking than the breasts).
• Carefully turn the ducks onto their breast-side
• and fry for 1 minute until golden-brown all over. Transfer to an oven tray and roast for 10 minutes for medium-rare or 13 minutes for medium
• or until the ducks are golden brown all over and the flesh is still lightly pink.
• Remove from the oven and leave to rest breast-side down. This is so that the juices will collect around the breasts
• baste them and keep them moist.
• To serve
• carve the ducks onto a large plate
• serve the celeriac purée in a small pot on the side and spoon the sauce over the meat. Garnish with your choice of fresh blackberries
• caramelised apples and celeriac crisps.