Pan Seared Duck Breast with Mushroom & Thyme Risotto

Ingredients

4 Angelakis Duck Breasts

Sea Salt

200 gm Swiss Brown Mushrooms, sliced

100 gm Baby King Brown Mushrooms, sliced

2 tbls Olive Oil

2 Cloves Garlic, finely chopped

½ Brown Onion, finely chopped

1 Cup Arborio Rice

½ Cup White Wine

3 Cups Chicken Stock

30 gm Butter

1 tbls Thyme, finely chopped

Black Pepper

Truffle Oil

Extra Thyme Sprigs, to garnish

Method

Prepare the duck breasts, remove from the packaging and pat dry with paper towel. Score the skin with a very sharp knife at half centimetre intervals, sprinkle with sea salt and set aside while you prepare the risotto (Allow the duck breasts to come to room temperature before cooking)

To make the risotto, heat the chicken stock in a small saucepan. In (seperate) large saucepan heat the olive oil over a medium heat, add the mushrooms and cook for a few minutes until golden brown, remove from pan and set aside. In the same pan add the garlic and onion, cook gently for a few minutes without browning. Stir in the rice, stir frequently and cook for a further few minutes until translucent.

Pour in the white wine and cook, stirring constantly until the wine has evaporated. Add a couple of ladles of the hot chicken stock at a time, allow to simmer, stirring often until most of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat this step until the rice is al dente, approximately 15-20 minutes. Add the cooked mushrooms and any juices to the risotto, along with the chopped thyme and butter, season with sea salt, mix well, keep warm.

To cook the duck breasts, heat a frypan over a medium heat. Once the pan is hot place the duck breasts skin side down in the pan, reduce the heat slightly and allow to cook until the fat has rendered and the skin is crispy and golden, approximately 10 minutes. Turn the duck breasts and cook for a further3-4 minutes on the breast side. Remove from the pan and allow to rest for 10 minutes.

To serve, slice the duck breasts on the diagonal, serve on the risotto, drizzle with a little truffle oil and garnish with the extra thyme sprigs.

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