DIRECTIONS:

          For Duck

1. Preheat the oven to 80°C. Score the skin of the duck breasts with a sharp knife and put it into a baking tray. Combine ingredients for marinade and brush onto duck breast. Place them into a zipper storage bag and seal. Marinate for at least 1 hour (at room temperature) or more (in the fridge).

2. Remove duck breasts from bag, remove excessive marinade with kitchen towel.

3. Heat clarified butter in pan and sear duck breasts, skin side down first. Cook until skin is golden brown and crispy, then turn breast over and lightly sear other side. Place duck breast into a baking tray – skin side on top – and let it rest for 45 minutes or until the core temperature is at 62°C.

   For Sour Cherry-Ginger Compote

4. In a small sauce pan, heat the butter, then add the frozen sour cherries, brown sugar, julienned ginger and Voatsiperifery pepper.

5. Once sour cherries start to form some juice, bring to a boil and simmer for 3-4 minutes, then take out sour cherries with a slotted spoon, drain and reserve in a bowl.

6. Bring sauce to a boil, add diluted corn starch and whisk while sauce thickens. Remove sauce from heat, season to taste with sugar & salt and pour over cherries.

   Corn Blinis

7. In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder and soft butter. Mix eggs with milk and macadamia oil in a measuring jug, then add to bowl with flour by stirring continuously with a whisk, to prevent lumps to form. Add corn kernels.

8. Whip egg whites stiff with a hand mixer, adding a pinch of salt. Fold in carefully.

9. Heat clarified butter in a pan, add the blinis-mixture in small dots (3-4 cm) and bake the blinis on both sides until golden. Place on a dish in oven with duck breast.

   Serve

10. Thinly slice each duck breast on a chopping board. Arrange on plates along with the sour cherry compote and some corn blinis. Add some fleur de sel on the duck breast.

11. *Tip: Voatsiperifery pepper is the rarest (1500 kg per year) and most extraordinary pepper. The plant (named ‘Tsiperifery” in Malagasy) grows exclusively “wild” up to 20 meters in the tropical forest of Madagascar. Only the young shouts on the top produce fruits (“Voa”), handpicked by the villagers from the East Coast of the Island. Its refined earthy and woody taste is completed by citrus and flowery aromas bringing freshness to the palate. Particularly long tasting, it goes well with lamb and pork as well as fruits and chocolate.

     

DIRECTIONS:

1. Mix the flour and salt together in a large bowl. Add the butter and shortening.
2. Using two forks, cut the butter and shortening into the mixture until it resembles coarse meal or you may use food processor to do the work.
3. Drizzle the cold water in, 1 Tablespoon at a time, and stir with a rubber spatula or wooden spoon after every Tablespoon added. Do not add any more water than you need to. Stop adding water when the dough begins to form large clumps.
4. Transfer the pie dough to a floured work surface. The dough should come together easily and should not feel overly sticky. Using floured hands, fold the dough into itself until the flour is fully incorporated into the fats. Form it into a ball. Divide dough in half. Wrap each tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for at least 30mins.
5. Preheat oven to 180°. Place potatoes and carrots in a large saucepan; add water to cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cook, covered, 8-10 minutes or until vegetables are crisp-tender; drain.
6. In a large skillet, heat butter over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until tender. Stir in flour and seasonings until blended. Gradually stir in broth and milk. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook and stir 2 minutes or until thickened. Stir in chicken, peas, corn and potato mixture; remove from heat.
7. Unroll a pastry sheet into each of two 9-in. pie plates; trim even with rims. Add chicken mixture. Unroll remaining pastry; place over filling. Trim, seal and flute edges. Cut slits in tops.
8. Bake 35-40 minutes or until crust is lightly browned. Let stand 15 minutes before cutting.

DIRECTIONS:

          Roasted Herbed Chicken or Turkey

1. In a large pot, simmer all ingredients listed under ‘brining’ for around 15 min.

2. Let the brine cool slightly before soaking the chicken or turkey in. Cover the pot and refrigerate for 12 hours.

3. The next day, rinse the bird.

4. Combine the butter and minced garlic, and insert into the breast pockets, leaving the skin intact.

5. Rub the whole chicken or turkey with salt, black pepper and honey. Throw in the rosemary and marinade for an hour.

6. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

7. Roast the bird for around 1 hour, or an average of 3 hours for turkey.

   Garlic Roasted Potatoes with Thyme

8. Wash the potatoes and pat dry.

9. Heat the olive oil in a skillet or casserole.

10. Saute the garlic until fragrant.

11. Add in the thyme, potatoes, salt and black pepper.

12. Once the edges start to brown, transfer the skillet to preheated oven of 180°C and roast for 20 min, stirring twice during the process.