John Cesters Poultry & Game Meat

Venison & Game Meat Melbourne

Duck, mandarin & chestnut ragu by Karen Martini

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Now that spring is nearly here, why not try some duck?

This is a recipe from on of our customers, celebrity chef Karen Martini

serves 6 mains
prep time 45mins (approx.)
total time 2hrs 15mins (approx.)

INGREDIENTS:

salt and pepper
20 chestnuts
60 ml extra virgin olive oil
1 brown onion, dicedHERO_RP000060_DuckMandarinRagu (1)
6 cloves garlic, peeled and sliced
1 bay leaf
4 mandarins, zested and juiced, plus extra mandarin segments for garnishing
2 leeks, finely sliced
2 medium carrots, finely diced
4 celery stalks, finely diced
5 sprigs thyme
300 ml verjuice
2 teaspoons allspice
approximately 1 litre chicken stock
1 bunch cavolo nero, washed and chopped
100 grams pasta per person
parmesan cheese, to serve

METHOD:

Preheat the oven to 220C.

Trim the duck marylands of excess fat and cut them into thigh and drumstick. Season the duck generously with salt and pepper. Roast the duck pieces on an oven rack for 15 minutes to render away some of the fat and turn the skin crisp and golden. Remove from the oven.

Score the chestnuts. Boil a pot of water and cook the chestnuts for 15 minutes. Remove one at a time and peel off both layers of skin. Slice and set aside.

In a large heavy-based pot, add the oil, onion, garlic, bay leaf and a little salt. Gently sweat over medium heat, then add the zest, leek, carrot and celery. Stir well then cook over medium heat for 15 minutes or until golden.

Add the thyme, duck, verjuice, mandarin juice and allspice and simmer for 5 minutes. Add enough stock to cover well and simmer for a further 40 minutes until the duck is about to fall off the bone.

Cook the pasta according to packet instructions, if using.

Remove the duck from the pot and add the cavolo nero. Continue cooking over medium heat for about 20 minutes, to cook the cavolo nero and reduce the sauce a little. Tear the duck meat from the bones while it’s still warm, skin and all but no gristle, and return to the sauce.

Season the ragu with lots of pepper. Add the chestnuts and the cooked pasta or gnocchi, if using. Add some peeled mandarin rounds and offer parmesan cheese grated at the table.

Need to grab a few things? Why not shop online now – we can even deliver!

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Rabbit au Vin

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Let us take you on a French inspired adventure in your kitchen!

Prep time: 20 mins / Cooktime: 2 hours – 2 hours 30 minutes / Serves: 6 people

INGREDIENTS:

2 onions, thinly sliced

2 celery sticks, thinly sliced

300g carrots, thickly slicedrabbit au vin

200g pack unsmoked bacon lardons

3 wild rabbits, jointed into shoulders, legs and saddle pieces

2 tbsp plain flour, seasoned well

25g butter, plus a knob

450g shallots

1 tbsp olive oil

600ml full-bodied red wine

400ml chicken stock

2 bay leaves

few thyme sprigs, plus extra to garnish

300g button mushrooms

METHOD:

  1. Soak the shallots in boiling water for 5 mins, drain, then peel – this makes it a lot easier to remove the skins. While they are soaking, slice the rest of the vegetables. Heat a large, wide flameproof casserole dish, then add the lardons. Fry for 5 mins or until the fat has run from the meat, then tip in the vegetables and cook for 10 mins until golden and starting to soften. Tip into a bowl.
  2. Toss the rabbit meat with the flour, then tap off the excess. Heat half the butter and oil in the dish, then brown half the rabbit for 10 mins until golden all over. Add a good splash of water, scrape around the dish and tip the juices into a jug. Repeat with the second batch of rabbit, but use the wine to deglaze the pan this time, letting it reduce by about a third.
  3. Add the rabbit and the vegetables to the wine, pour in the stock, stir in the herbs and bring to a simmer. Cover, leaving just a small gap for steam to escape, then simmer for 1½-2 hrs or until the meat falls away from the bones. If you like a thicker sauce to your stew, you can lift out the meat and vegetables and boil the sauce to thicken it a little. To finish, heat the knob of butter in a frying pan and cook the mushrooms with salt, pepper and a few thyme leaves over a high heat until browned. Spoon these over the stew, sprinkle with thyme leaves and bring to the table.

 

Need to grab a few things? Why not shop online now – we can even deliver!

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