NEIL'S RECIPES: BREAST OF DUCK WITH ASPARAGUS, RADISH AND NEW POTATOES

"I remember one of my first jobs as a young commis chef was to pluck hundreds of game birds after a shoot on the estate I was working on. I looked like something out of Ghostbusters with a hoover on my back, goggles, and a bandana to cover my mouth from all the dusty feathers. Oh, the fun I had in the plucking shed! This dish is very simple to cook. Make sure you season the meat before, during and after cooking, and crisp the skin by cooking mainly skin-side down in a heavy pan alongside the potatoes with some thyme and garlic. Use whatever veg you like. Kale, spinach or cabbage are all excellent, but remember to use any fat rendered from the duck when you season the veg before serving."

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 2
Prep time: 20 minutes; cooking time: 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS

2 free-range duck breasts
1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil
4 to 6 spears of British asparagus, cut into 2-inch pieces
4 to 6 radishes, quartered
4 to 6 new potatoes, little sweet ones are great, scrubbed, par-boiled and halved
2 tablespoons duck fat
1 sprig of thyme
1 clove of garlic, smashed
Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Season the breasts with good salt and pepper. Heat a pan on the hob then add the cold-pressed rapeseed oil and place the breasts skin-side-down in the pan, ensuring good contact is made between the skin and the pan. Turn over after cooking for 2 to 3 minutes and cook for a further 3 to 4 minutes. Then turn the breasts back to skin-side-down and add the thyme, garlic and potatoes to the pan and place in the oven for 8 to 10 minutes until the duck is cooked medium rare. The firmer the duck is to the touch, the more well-cooked it is. 

Meanwhile, bring a pan of water to the boil and season with salt. Add the asparagus and cook for 2 minutes on a rolling boil. 

Remove the pan from the oven, and transfer the duck breasts to a warm plate to rest. Once rested, season.

Add the radishes and the cooked asparagus to the potatoes and stir in the duck fat. The pan should still be quite hot from the oven.

To serve, either slice the duck, or leave them whole as I prefer, and place on a plate with the asparagus, potatoes and radishes as a garnish on top.

HOW TO FILLET MACKEREL

Neil takes us through a step-by-step guide of how to fillet mackerel. In just four easy steps, he makes it look so simple! 

STEP ONE

Remove the head and guts.

STEP TWO

Insert knife just above back bone and remove the fillet.

STEP THEE

Using a filleting knife, remove the belly bones.

STEP FOUR

Using the same sharp knife, insert it either side of the central pin bone line and remove all bones in one.

VOILA!

The final boneless, skin-on fillet is ready for pickling, frying or grilling.

HOW TO CHOP AN ONION IN 6 EASY STEPS

Ever wondered how chefs manage to chop onions so quickly and effectively? We have decided to share the secret. Follow our 6 easy steps...

STEP ONE

Remove the top and bottom of the onion, keeping the root intact.

STEP TWO

Remove the skin and the outer papery layer.

STEP THREE

Cut the onion in half, through the root. 

STEP FOUR

Cut vertically down, towards the root, but not slicing though it.

STEP FIVE

Cut horizontally, 2 or 3 times depending on the size required, again keeping the root intact.

STEP SIX

Now you're ready to dice, until just the root remains.

NEIL'S RECIPES: MALLARD WITH CLAPSHOT, BRAISED RED CABBAGE AND PARSNIP

"I adore this dish. The almost sticky red cabbage is not overly sweet and has just the right amount of sharpness. The mallard breast is cooked in a pan and shown the oven for just a minute or two. Served with a little garlic, thyme and clapshot - essential in these chilly months to warm the soul."

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 2

30 minutes prep time, 2 hours cooking time

INGREDIENTS

2 mallard or wild duck breasts, skin on

2 large potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed, Roosters are good

200g turnip, peeled, diced, boiled and mashed

1/3 small red cabbage, cut thinly with a sharp knife

1 tablespoon redcurrant jelly

1 cinnamon stick

A pinch of mixed spice

A small handful of Californian raisins

1/3 apple, grated

1 star anise

1 glass of red wine

2 tablespoons of bramble vinegar

Good salt and pepper

2 small parsnips, peeled and blanched in boiling water for 2 to 3 minutes and refreshed in cold water

1 sprig thyme

1 clove garlic, halved

1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil for frying

50g butter, diced into 1cm cubes

Around 100ml stock for reducing, chicken, game or beef will do

METHOD

Heat oven to 180°C

Begin by placing the shredded cabbage, jelly, cinnamon, spice, raisins, grated apple, star anise, red wine (leave a small amount in the glass for later) and vinegar into a large pot, season and place onto the hob on a moderate heat with the lid on. Leave for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Do not let it burn, if it looks like it’s getting too hot, turn down the heat and add a splash of water.

Prepare the clapshot by combining the mashed potatoes and turnip whilst they are still hot. Season with salt, a lot of pepper and nearly all the butter, leaving some for the mallard. Keep to one side in a warm place.

Heat the oil in an oven-proof frying pan and place the mallard breasts in the pan skin side down, alongside the parsnips, thyme and garlic and begin to caramelise the duck and parsnips together. Add a knob of butter and season. Turn the duck and parsnips over after a couple of minutes, then place the pan in the oven for a minute or two.

Remove from the oven and place the duck on a plate to rest. Continue to fry the parsnips if they need colour.

Deglaze the frying pan with the remaining red wine until it reduces and incorporates all the bits of roasting goodness from the pan. Then add some stock, and reduce again for a few minutes until the sauce is rich and dark. Add a knob of butter and incorporate.

To plate up, place a spoonful of red cabbage on each plate and add a dollop of clapshot alongside. Then carve the mallard on a slant giving 6 to 8 slices from each breast, and place that from the knife on to the plate. Lean the parsnip on the clapshot and garnish with a trickle of sauce.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ROAST PARTRIDGE, CONFIT LEG, WATERCRESS, CRAB APPLE JELLY

"Partridge is a great bird to cook. I like to remove the legs before roasting the crowns so the legs can be cooked longer either by roasting or confiting in duck fat. The splash of Madeira in the pan to glaze the breasts and of course a bit of butter for extra richness is great. Try this with bread sauce, a classic with roasted game birds."

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

Prep time 30 minutes, cooking time 2 hours

INGREDIENTS

4 grey or red legged partridge, legs removed

4 bunches of watercress, washed200g crab apples, washed and cut into pieces

200g unrefined caster sugar

1 glass Madeira

250ml pint of good beef or chicken stock

250ml pint duck fat,1 tablespoon cold-pressed rapeseed oil

2 knobs of butter

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Begin by making the crab apple jelly. Place the apples in a pot and cover with water. Bring to the boil and simmer for about an hour until the fruit is soft and mushy. 

Pass through a fine sieve into a clean pan and add the sugar. Bring to the boil carefully - it will splutter like jam - stirring continuously on a moderate heat for about an hour until the mix has thickened and has turned a deep red. It may take a while longer. 

Allow to cool then chill the jelly in the fridge for a day. This jelly is also excellent with cheese, like a quince paste. 

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Next, confit the partridge legs by submerging them in the duck fat in a pan on a on a low heat. When starting to boil, place in the oven for a couple of hours. 

Next, roast the partridge crowns. Place an oven-proof frying pan on the hob and add the oil. Fry the partridge all over for a few minutes then add some butter and allow the meat to brown. Season with salt and pepper and place in the oven for 5 to 7 minutes until just golden, remove from the pan and allow to rest in a warm place for 5 to 7 minutes.

To make a sauce, add the Madeira to the same frying pan and deglaze by bringing it to the boil and reducing by two thirds. Then add the stock and reduce again by two thirds. Add a knob of butter and check the consistency and seasoning. 

To serve, remove the breasts from the bone and place the drained legs on top. Spoon the sauce over the meat and garnish with watercress and a dollop of crab apple jelly. Serve with a bread sauce if desired.

NEIL'S RECIPES: FILLET OF HALIBUT WITH SAMPHIRE AND CHANTERELLES

"Get your fishmonger to do the hard work and fillet the fish for you. As an alternative to halibut, try hake, or smoked haddock works well. Fish goes really well with chanterelles and it’s the start of the mushroom season here in Scotland, so these vibrant orange fungi are easily foraged. If you do go picking, be careful and make sure you know what you are doing. Salty samphire brings all the flavours together nicely. It grows wild on coastal marsh areas in East Lothian but you should get permission from the landowner before any form of foraging."

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 175g halibut fillets, farmed Gigha Halibut is great
1 handful of British samphire, washed
2 handfuls of chanterelles mushrooms, cleaned
A few flowers from the garden, I like nasturtium leaves and flowers, borage is pretty too
2 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
150g butter
Juice of a lemon, some fennel fronds, optional
Good salt and pepper

Season the fish all over. Heat a frying pan and a pot on the hob, bringing both to moderate heat. Add the oil to the frying pan and leave for a couple of minutes. Then add half the butter and the mushrooms to the pot, followed by the samphire and season. Keep tossing being careful not to burn the butter.

Meanwhile, check the fish. It should be starting to turn golden brown on the underside. Once it is, turn each fillet over and continue cooking. Add the remaining butter to the frying pan. It will start to froth and become lovely and nut brown in colour. Season the fish again and squeeze in the lemon juice, a few drops at a time. If you like, add some fennel fronds at this stage, as they will flavour the butter well.

When the mushrooms and samphire are just soft, season again and spoon into the centre of four warmed plates. Place the fish on top and decorate with the flowers and a few more drops of lemon.

NEIL'S RECIPES: ICED CROWDIE AND RASPBERRY PARFAIT

"The taste of this parfait is similar to a frozen cheesecake with the slightly salty, textured crowdie mixed with the sweetness of Angus raspberries. It just knocks me for six every time I eat it. Scattering a few oats as a tiny crust is great, or have it on its own, in a glass, bowl or plate, it doesn’t matter. Once it’s made, it’s in your freezer for a good few weeks until it’s all eaten! Do give it a go, maybe ask for help as there are a few stages to go through. Come on, I did give you an easy starter and main course to cook!"

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

This will make 2 terrine moulds (classic le Creuset style) or ice-cream tubs rubbed with oil and lined with 2 sheets of cling film. Very importantly, before lining with oil and cling film, add a strip of triple layered tin foil so you can lift the parfait out of the terrine when it’s frozen. Allow for an overhang of the tin foil and the cling film.

INGREDIENTS

350g raspberries, chopped plus extra for garnishing

Roasted pinhead oats, toasted as a garnish, optional

coulis:
150ml water
140g sugar
175g raspberries

creamed crowdie:
300ml double cream
600g crowdie

meringue:
4 egg whites
250g sugar
pâte à bombe

110 ml water
150g sugar

8 egg yolks

METHOD

Begin by making a coulis. Boil the coulis ingredients together until syrupy then blitz and pass through a sieve. Keep to one side. 

Next make the crowdie cream, by whisking together the cream and crowdie until smooth. Keep to one side. 

To make a classic meringue mix, whisk the egg whites until 3/4 whisked then add the sugar a little at a time as you continue to whisk. Use a mixer for this if you have one. Keep to one side.

To make the pâte à bombe parfait mixture, heat the water and sugar until it reaches 121°C. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks and continue to whisk as you gently pour in the molten sugar. Use a miser for this if you have one. Keep whisking until the mix starts to cool slightly. This will take about 5 minutes.

To assemble, use a large bowl to fold the meringue into the pâte à bombe. Then fold in the coulis and crowdie cream, being very gentle as you go. And finally fold in the chopped raspberries.

Ensure all is combined and scoop into your prepared terrine moulds. Fold the cling film over the top and freeze overnight. The next day, remove the parfait from the moulds by lifting out using the tin foil handles.

Serve sliced with some toasted oats and fresh raspberries.

NEIL'S RECIPES: MONKFISH TAIL WITH SALSA VERDE AND SEMI-DRIED TOMATOES

It is a rare treat for me to use monkfish. Always ensure you buy from a sustainable source and it’s very fresh. Monkfish has a meaty texture with no small bones, just one central bone that can be left in if you want to cook it on the barbecue, or trimmed and the bone removed. Either way, don’t overcook the fish - keep it slightly underdone and allow to rest as it does go a bit dry if it’s over cooked. I’m serving here with salsa verde, a brilliant sauce a bit like pesto, but so much better.

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

1 large monkfish tail, either on or off the bone, get your fishmonger to help you trim it or remove the bone
4 large new season tomatoes, I like Isle of Wight organic tomatoes
A small handful each of fresh mint, parsley and basil, washed and dried
1 tablespoon of capers
1 tablespoon of anchovies, optional
1 tablespoon of good Dijon or wholegrain mustard
250ml extra-virgin olive oil, I use Palestinian organic olive oil, plus extra for roasting the tomatoes
A splash of red wine vinegar
1 clove of garlic
A few sprigs of thyme
Good salt and pepper
A few edible flowers, optional
A splash of sunflower oil
Lemon juice for seasoning

METHOD

Pre-heat oven to 130°C.

To make the semi-dried tomatoes, remove the eyes from the tomatoes and cut them half . Then cut each half into 4 wedges and place in an oven-proof dish. Trickle with a little olive oil, season with salt and pepper, and sprinkle over the thyme leaves. Place in the oven for a few hours until just semi-dried.

To make the salsa verde, blitz the herbs, capers, anchovies, vinegar, garlic and mustard, and olive oil in a blender until a slightly chunky consistency is achieved. Taste and season as required.

Prepare the fish for cooking by patting it dry and seasoning. Then place a frying pan on the hob and add a splash of sunflower oil. Once the oil is very hot add the monkfish very carefully. Colour the fish on all sides then season again and place in a hot (180°C) oven for a few minutes until it is still slightly under cooked.

Remove from the oven and season with a squeeze of lemon juice and salt and pepper if required.

To serve, slice the fish and drizzle with salsa verde and serve with the tomatoes.

NEIL'S RECIPES: BREAST OF MALLARD WITH CHESTNUTS, CABBAGE AND POTATO

Mallard, or wild duck, is one of my favourite game birds and is a great alternative to turkey for Christmas lunch. They’re available from good game dealers – in Edinburgh I would try Crombie’s, George Bower or Saunderson’s. If you choose a whole bird, I would recommend removing the legs and cooking them separately for longer than you do the breasts or the crown. Cooking the breasts on the bone will lessen the shrinkage and keep it moist but you can cook single breasts in a pan if you prefer.

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango 

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

4 breasts of mallard

4 heritage potatoes or new potatoes, skin on and par-boiled - I like Pink Fir and Aura

1/2 a Savoy cabbage, stem removed and shredded

12 chestnuts

4 cloves of garlic

4 sprigs of thyme

Good salt and pepper

2 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

4 knobs of butter

METHOD

Heat the oven to 180°C.

Add the oil to a large, hot frying pan, season the mallard and place each breast carefully, skin-side down in the pan. Season again.

Cut the potatoes in half and place them next to the breasts. Add the garlic and thyme. Once the mallard skin is golden, turn and add the chestnuts. Reduce the heat and cook for a minute or 2.

Place the pan in the oven for 3 to 5 minutes depending on how cooked you like your duck. Remove from the oven, add 2 knobs of butter to the pan and baste the mallard. Season again. Remove the mallard from the pan and allow rest on a plate in a warm place. Remove the potatoes from the pan and keep warm. Retain the juices in the pan.

Blanch the cabbage in boiling, salted water and drain, and add the remaining butter. Season and stir in any juices from the pan. Duck fat is delicious in cabbage! You can also add any resting juices.

To serve, slice each breast into long slithers and arrange on a wooden board or 4 individual, warmed plates. Arrange the cabbage, chestnuts and those golden brown potatoes and garnish with the garlic cloves and thyme stalks. Add a pinch of good salt and serve at once.

NEIL'S RECIPES: VENISON COTTAGE PIE

This is one of our best sellers at the restaurant. It’s rich, homely, comforting and a great-tasting dish. If you can’t find venison mince, replace with grass-fed beef mince. I pipe my ridiculously buttery mash onto the pies at Cafe, but my mother used to spread the mash over the cooked mince and make a tartan pattern with the back of a fork, who remembers that?

Image: Paul Johnston, Copper Mango

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

400g of lean, very good venison mince

4 tablespoons cold-pressed rapeseed oil

150g of mixed diced vegetables, such as carrots, celeriac, turnip and onion

1 bay leaf

A sprig of thyme

1 litre of very good beef or game stock, chicken stock would do - any leftover gravy is good to add here

1kg potatoes

200ml double cream – heated

100g butter

1 egg, beaten

Good salt and pepper

METHOD

Heat the oven to 160°C.

Heat a large ovenproof pot (with a lid) on the hob - get it quite hot – then add half the oil. When smoking, add the venison mince. Keep the heat up and keep stirring until the mince is nicely browned, this should take 7 to 8 minutes. Drain through a sieve and reserve.

Bring the same pot back up to a high heat and add the remaining oil. Fry the veg for around 6 to 8 minutes. The more colour you add, the more flavour your pie will have. Then add the thyme, the bay leaf and the drained venison mince. Combine whilst still on a high heat and season with salt and pepper. Next add the stock and any leftover gravy and bring to the boil.

Once boiling, remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Then place the pot in the oven to simmer for 2 hours, stirring every half hour or so. Then remove the lid and cook for a further hour, stirring every 15 minutes. It should reach a rich, thick mince or stew consistency. Remove from the oven and transfer to a serving dish.

For the mash, boil the potatoes in salted water, drain and pass through a potato ricer. Stir in the hot cream and butter.

Top the pie with the mash. Use a piping bag to create a decorative design, or spread the mash with a palette knife and use a fork to create ridges.

Brush all over with a beaten egg and brown in a very hot oven or under a piping hot grill. Serve at once with some cabbage or greens cooked with a little beef fat left over from Sunday lunch.