Recipes

A recipe for the winter months, when we are all in need of a reminder of the summer sunshine. As Jeremy, Head chef at The Blueprint Cafe, says "As with many fine recipes, good produce defines the dish as much as the method. Good duck is as rare and costly as a good chicken. When the game season begins, it would seem that mallard are as plentiful as pheasant, as reasonably priced and most importantly, as delicious. The using of mallard as opposed to duck in Lady Llanover's famous recipe is lovely."
Bear in mind the pickled cherries should be made now, to be ready for when mallard comes into season.

For the Pickled cherries

    To each kg of stoned cherries, add the following:
    400g dark muscovado sugar
    400ml good red wine vinegar
    100ml decent red wine
    2 cinnamon sticks
    4 cloves
    1 tsp cracked allspice
    1 tsp cracked black pepper
    A fingertip size piece of ginger, peeled and sliced thinly
    A little cold water

    Half a mallard per person
    2 large tbsp coarse sea salt

Method

For the pickled cherries, place all the ingredients for the pickle into a heavy-bottomed pot. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes. Tip in the cherries, having a care not to splash and return the pot to the boil. Remove the cherries from the pickle very gently and lay in a tray.

Keep the heat beneath the pot high and let the pickle cook quickly until reduced by a third, if not half, the original volume. Place the cherries in scrupulously cleaned and warmed jars. Pour over the pickling liquid. Pop a little disc of waxed paper atop and seal the jars. When cool, put the jars in a cool dark place and let sit for three months or so until ready to serve with cold roast or preserved meats in the winter months.

When you finally get your mallard, clean the insides and wipe dry with a cloth. Rub the salt all over the inside and the outside of the bird(s) and place in a bowl. Cover the birds and refrigerate. Leave thus, turning every 24 hours, for three days.

Rinse the mallards of excess salt. Place the birds in a large pot and cover with cold water. Set the pot on a high heat and bring the pan to a boil, reducing the heat to a simmer. Allow to cook for two minutes, then remove from the heat. Allow to cool in the pot.

Remove from the cooking pot, wrap well and keep in the refrigerator where they can remain without harm for four or five days.

To serve, remove the breasts from the mallard and slice thinly. Heap on plates alongside a wee bunch of watercress and a spoonful of pickled cherries.