Pan-Fried Duck with Mushroom Puree

Ingredients 

2 duck breasts 

1 spring fresh rosemary 

3 cloves garlic 

1 butternut squash 

2 shallots 

1 pot chestnut mushrooms

Knob of butter 

Dash truffle oil 

100ml Madeira

100ml double cream 

250ml chicken stock 

Coriander, chopped (around 2 tbsp) 

Pickled cherries (around 6)

Method

1. Slice the mushrooms (leaving two aside to garnish), and place them in a saucepan with a splash of olive oil. Season with salt and pepper and fry for 3-4 minutes. Once softened, add a knob of butter an fry for another 6-7 minutes. Add a splash of madeira to deglaze the bottom of the pan and stir. Add the double cream and then remove from the heat and blend until entirely smooth. Then fold the truffle oil into the puree, cover closely with clingfilm and set to one side until ready to use
2. Trim excess fat and skin from the duck breasts, leaving a good layer of skin on one side of the breast (keep aside all the trimming to use in the gravy). Place the breasts onto a flat plate and place in the freezer for 20-30 minutes. When ready, remove duck breasts from freezer and score the fat, then store in the fridge until ready to cook 
3. Fry the duck trimmings in a pan with a splash of oil, add two roughly chopped shallots and three halved cloves of garlic. After 4-5 minutes, deglaze the pan with the Madeira, add rosemary on top and simmer for 10 minutes. Pass gravy through a sieve
4. Trim and peel the butternut squash and then slice thinly into matchsticks 
5. When you are pretty much ready to cook, sprinkle a pinch of salt on the fatty side of the duck, then use the following timings for perfect cooking:
   1. Add fat side down to a cold pan over a low heat. Leave for 5-6 minutes, drain the fat and then continue to cook for a further 3-4 minutes
   1. Flip the breast for 30 seconds, then turn back on to the fat side for another 2-3 minutes 
   1. Sear the edges of the breast and then flip over again for another 30 seconds, then return to the fat side down for a final 2-3 minutes 
   1. Rest the duck fat side up for 6 minutes 
6. Using the same pan as the duck, fry the butternut squash, seasoned with salt and pepper, and add a dash of water. Leave for 3 minutes, adding water as you go to control the heat. Once softened, add some chopped coriander 
7. Heat up the mushroom puree and gravy in saucepans ready for serving, meantime thinly slice the remaining mushroom to garnish, adding pickled cherries into the gravy at this point for extra flavour
8. Plate up, and enjoy!