Tea Smoked Duck Breasts with Lobster, Apple Purée, Maple Jelly and Bitter Leaves

Ingredients

Contains: shellfish (auto-detected from the ingredients and method; we can miss things, so check labels)

• 100ml/3½fl oz maple syrup
• 50ml/2fl oz water
• 1 star anise, 2.5cm/1in piece cinnamon
• 3 whole cloves
• 2 sheets leaf gelatine
• 3 Braeburn apples
• 50ml/2fl oz apple juice
• 50ml/2fl oz sparkling white wine
• squeeze lemon juice
• 2-3 tsp sugar
• 4 duck
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 150g/5oz brown rice
• 150g/5oz dark brown sugar
• 100g/3½oz Darjeeling leaf tea
• 1 small cooked lobster
• 4 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil
• 1-2 tsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 100g/3½oz mixed bitter leaves, such as chicory, radicchio, endive

Directions

Method written by CompKitchen from the ingredient list. Not the original author's method, not kitchen-tested.

1. Warm the maple syrup, 50ml water, star anise, cinnamon stick and cloves in a small pan until simmering, then simmer 5 minutes and strain. Soak the gelatine leaves in cold water for 5 minutes, squeeze them dry and stir into the hot syrup with the sparkling white wine until dissolved. Pour into a shallow tray and chill for about 1 hour until set, then cut into small cubes.

2. Peel, core and chop the Braeburn apples. Cook them gently in a pan with the apple juice, a splash of water, 2-3 tsp sugar and a squeeze of lemon juice for 15 minutes until very soft. Blend until smooth, taste and add a little more sugar if needed, then keep warm or chill.

3. Season the 4 duck breasts all over with salt and black pepper. Heat 1 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil in an ovenproof skillet and fry the duck skin side down over medium heat for 6 minutes until the skin is crisp and golden, then turn and cook 1 minute more.

4. Line a wok or deep pan with foil and add the brown rice, dark brown sugar and Darjeeling tea leaves. Set a rack above them, place the duck on the rack, cover tightly and smoke over medium-high heat for 5 minutes, then remove.

5. Roast the smoked duck in an oven preheated to 400°F (200°C) for 8 to 10 minutes until the thickest part reaches 165°F (74°C). Rest the duck on a board for 5 minutes, then slice thickly.

6. Cut the cooked lobster meat into chunks. Warm it gently in a pan with 1 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil, salt and pepper for 2 minutes until heated through.

7. Toss the mixed bitter leaves with 2 tbsp sunflower or groundnut oil, the remaining 1-2 tsp lemon juice, salt and pepper.

8. Spread the apple purée on warm plates, arrange the sliced duck and lobster beside it, add the bitter leaves and scatter with the maple jelly cubes to serve.