Carden Park was the stunning venue for the Cheshire Life Food and Drink Awards on July 11th. Head Chef Graham Tinsley and his team created a delightful menu which showcased their considerable talents
“This recipe was the starter for the Cheshire Life Food and Drink Awards. I always think duck is perfect for a special occasion as you can do so much with it.
At Carden Park, we source our duck from Madgett’s farm in Hereford. It is a cross between a Peking duck and Aylesbury duck as it’s a nice eating bird. I’m very proud to be on the Welsh National Culinary Team and I’ve cooked duck for some occasions such as the opening of the Welsh National Assembly and Culinary European Cup.
Duck is a fatty bird but you have to really score the skin and cook it skin side down for 70% of its 12-15 minute cooking time to get the fat rendered down. Don’t forget to cook it without oil, in a dry pan.
What you can do with the legs is confit them. You salt the legs, then put them in a pan, cover in duck fat and cook very slowly.
The recipe we did as a starter for the awards is pastrami and it harks back to the old days when they used to salt things to preserve them. The salt drains out all the moisture so that bacteria can’t live there. Like most organisms they need moisture to live.
When it comes to something like the Cheshire Life Food and Drink awards you really want to show off a bit. You know who is going to be seated at the tables - some of the leading lights in the region’s culinary scene so you really want to serve them a wonderful meal.”
Duck Pastrami with duck liver mousse.
1 Duck Breast.
3 day cure for duck pastrami
200g course sea salt
200g sugar
10g ginger
1 lime zest
½ chili
Pinch pink peppercorn
Pinch Coriander seeds
Method
Blend all the ingredients together and rub over the duck breast. Leave to cure for 3 days.
After 3 days wash the duck breast and dry.
Dry sear the breast, skin side down in a frying pan until the skin is crisp.
Rub the flesh side with cracked black pepper and chill.
Duck liver mousse
250grms cleaned duck livers
125grms melted butter
1 small onion sliced and covered with red wine and cooked out until soft.
1 clove garlic
15g pink salt
In a food processor, blend the duck livers with the cooked onions, garlic and pink salt.
Slowly add the melted butter and continue to blend.
Pour into a baking dish lined with cling film and bake in a bain marie at 150oc until firm.
Remove from the bain marie and chill.
Once cold, place into a bowl and beat in 200ml semi whipped cream until smooth and aerated.
To serve
Thinly slice the duck and spoon the mousse onto plates, serve with toasted gingerbread, granny smith apples and cherry gel.
About Graham...
Head Chef Graham Tinsley MBE was at Carden Park from the beginning when it opened in 1997 and worked there for 10 years before leaving to open his own restaurant at the Castle Hotel in Conwy, which he still owns. He returned to Carden Park and has been there for the past five years.
