Mallard with celeriac, wild mushrooms and cabbage

I created this dish based on the best and most seasonal ingredients that my greengrocer had available that day.

The dish contains many small elements, but they are all quite simple to make. It combines, in the simplest way possible, the very best that early autumn has to offer.

Duck sauce

• carcass and legs of the two ducks
• 1 onion, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 carrot, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 celery stalk, cut into 1 cm cubes
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 sprig of sage
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 bottle of Valpolicella or other red wine
• 250 ml chicken stock
• 75 g soft unsalted butter
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Put a pan on high heat. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil, and brown the legs and carcass. Add the chopped vegetables and fry them over a high heat. They should take on a little colour. Add the garlic, herbs and wine. Turn the heat down low and let the sauce gently simmer. Regularly skim away any foam or impurities that float to the surface. After 1½ hours, strain the sauce through a fine sieve. Add the chicken stock and let the sauce reduce by two-thirds.

When the time comes to use the sauce, whip the butter into it and season it with salt and pepper.

Braised celeriac

• 1 celeriac
• 1 tbsp. freshly picked thyme leaves
• 100 ml chicken stock
• olive oil
• salt and pepper

Peel the celeriac and cut it into 2 cm cubes. Put a sauté pan on the lowest heat with 2 tbsp. olive oil. Add the celeriac cubes to the pan and season with salt and pepper. Add the thyme and chicken stock. Place a cartouche over the vegetables and a half-open lid.

Let the celeriac braise on the lowest flame until tender, but without taking on colour.

Note: A cartouche is a piece of baking paper cut into a circle to fit the pan.

You use a cartouche for precision cooking or braising. When you use a cartouche, the steam is retained within a small space, with the temperature equally distributed between bottom and top.

Sautéed wild mushrooms

• 200 g wild mushrooms. We used horn-of-plenty mushrooms and chanterelles
• 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
• salt and pepper
• olive oil

Clean the mushrooms thoroughly (see how on page ##). Put the frying pan on the highest heat. When it is hot and just starting to smoke, add 2 tbsp. olive oil and then the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper and agitate the mushrooms so they don't stick to the pan. After a few minutes, the mushrooms will release some moisture – keep frying until the moisture has evaporated. Add the garlic and let it fry with the mushrooms for a further 2 minutes.

Kale

• 200 g kale, preferably a mixture of red and green kale
• the juice of ½ a lemon
• 2-3 tbsp. olive oil
• salt and pepper

Remove the stems and wash the kale thoroughly.

Blanch it in salted boiling water for 5 minutes. Drain the kale and gently squeeze out the excess water.

Make a quick dressing of lemon juice and olive oil, and toss the kale in the dressing.

The meat

Preheat the oven to 200 degrees

Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Place a good frying pan with a metal handle on a high heat. Add 2 tbsp. olive oil, and fry the duck breasts skin side down. Reduce the heat to medium and fry for 2-3 minutes, until the skin has turned golden. Turn the duck breasts over, skin side up, and place the pan in the oven. Finish roasting the duck breasts in the oven for a further 3-4 minutes.

I prefer my duck medium rare. This is when the meat "springs back" when you press on it. If you prefer the meat more well-done, then of course roast it longer.

As it is cooking, it is a good idea to baste the meat with the juice and fat that collects in the pan. This helps retain flavour and succulence. Let the meat rest for 3-5 minutes before slicing.

Serve the meat with the vegetables and a spoonful of the delicious duck sauce.