Mallard Arancini with Mushroom Sauce

Serves
2

Prep Time
30 mins

Cook Time
6-8 hrs

These deep-fried mallard and risotto balls make an irresistible starter. Treat someone special as part of a romantic 3-course dinner, or bump up the quantities and share them around with small bowls of velvety mushroom sauce set out ready for dipping.

Ingredients

Serving 2
  For the Mallard
8x Mallard duck legs
3x Cloves of garlic
50g Fresh thyme
300ml Rapeseed oil
  For the Arancini
250g Risotto rice
2x Banana shallots
500ml Chicken stock
100g Panko breadcrumbs
3x Eggs
100g Plain flour
15ml Truffle oil
Vegetable oil, for frying
  For the Sauce
500g Chestnut mushrooms
50g Unsalted butter
a pinch Salt
250ml Chicken stock
150ml Double cream

Equipment

Oven-proof dish
3 Mixing bowls
2 Medium saucepans
Blender
Frying pan
Slotted spoon
Serving plate or boards

1. Prepare the mallard legs

Dry the mallard legs and place in a deep, oven-proof dish. Cover with the rapeseed oil, and then add the thyme and garlic.

2. Slow cook the Mallard

Slow cook the mallard legs at 90°C for 6-8 hours. Allow to cool, then shred the meat into a mixing bowl, being careful not to add sinew or bones. Cover and leave to one side.

3. Begin the arancini

To make the arancini, dice the shallots as small as you can and add them to a saucepan with a little oil. Add the 250g risotto rice and start cooking, moving the rice around to coat it in the oil and lightly sweat the grains.

4. Add stock

Slowly add the warm chicken stock, about 100ml at a time. You want to leave the rice a little firm, as you’ll finish cooking it once you’ve formed the risotto balls.

5. Mix the arancini ingredients

Once the rice is cooked enough for the arancini, add the confit mallard and truffle oil and mix well, then set aside to cool down.

6. Make the sauce

To make the mushroom sauce, slice the chestnut mushrooms and fry them with the butter. Once soft, add 250ml of chicken stock and 150 ml of double cream then reduce until the mixture is creamy and sticky. Pour into a blender and blitz until smooth.

7. Prepare the arancini coating

Crack 3 eggs into a bowl and place 100g of breadcrumbs into another.

8. Roll the arancini balls

Roll the arancini mix into rough 40g balls and dust them with the plain flour, making sure they’re fully coated. Dip each ball in the egg then roll in the breadcrumbs, again making sure they are covered completely.

9. Heat the oil

Pour the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed frying pan and put over a medium heat. Drop in a few breadcrumbs and if they sizzle and float, the oil is ready.

10. Fry the arancini balls

Use a slotted spoon to carefully place four arancini at a time into the oil. Deep-fry for 8 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Transfer to a double layer of kitchen paper to drain.

11. Serve

Serve the arancini with the creamy mushroom sauce in a jug on the side, or in a bowl for dipping.

Mallard

Protein (g/100g)

19

Calories (kcal/100g)

337

Fat (g/100g)

28

Cholesterol (mg/100g)

84

View Mallard recipes