Australian Gourmet Traveller recipe for braised duck and chestnut kofta with king brown mushrooms by Shane Delia from Maha restaurant in Melbourne.
May 05, 2010 6:38amBy Shane Delia
- 50 mins preparation
- 50 mins cooking
- Serves 4
"When someone talks about soul food, I think of cold rainy days sitting inside next to the heater with a big loaf of crusty bread and a dish just like this. A dish that's not pretty or delicate in flavour like you would find in spring, more like a dish that you can break apart and destroy. Mix all the ingredients together into one ugly mess and then lap it up with loads of freshly baked crusty bread."
Ingredients
- 50 ml ghee (see note)
- 8 pickling onions
- 2 tsp Aleppo pepper (see note)
- 55 gm butter
- 35 gm plain flour
- 1 litre (4 cups) hot brown chicken stock
- 5 king brown mushrooms
- 2 golden shallots, finely chopped
- 2 cloves garlic, sliced
- 3 thyme sprigs, leaves picked
- 1 tsp cumin seeds
- Juice of 1 lemon
- To serve: pea shoots, yoghurt and bread
Duck and chestnut kofta
- 650 gm minced duck leg meat (see note)
- 1 tsp Aleppo pepper (see note)
- 3 garlic cloves, crushed
- ¼ cup (firmly packed) flat-leaf parsley, coarsely chopped
- 1 tsp ground coriander
- 10 large peeled chestnuts, coarsely chopped (see note)
- 200 gm caul fat, soaked in cold water for 1 hour, drained, cut into 10cm squares (see note)
Method
Main
1
For duck and chestnut kofta, combine ingredients (except chestnuts and caul) in a bowl. Pass twice through the mincing attachment of a mixer into a bowl. Knead the meat with your hands until elastic (2-4 minutes). Add half the chestnuts (reserve remaining), season to taste, then roll into 16 golf-ball-sized koftas and transfer to a tray. Wrap each ball in a piece of caul, set aside.
2
Preheat oven to 180C. Heat ghee in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, add kofta and cook, turning occasionally, until brown (3-5 minutes). Add onion and pepper and cook until onion colours (2-3 minutes). Remove kofta and onion from pan and set aside. Drain excess fat from pan, add 35gm butter and cook until melted (1-2 minutes), then add flour and stir until light brown (1-2 minutes). Gradually add stock, stirring until smooth and combined, then bring to the boil and cook for 2-3 minutes. Keep warm.
3
Meanwhile, remove bases of four mushrooms, thickly slice tops and set aside. Finely dice bases and remaining mushroom and set aside. Heat remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add shallot, garlic, thyme and cumin seeds and sauté until tender (1-2 minutes). Add diced mushroom and sauté to combine (1-2 minutes), then add to liquid with reserved chestnut (reserve a little for serving). Add kofta and onion to pan and cook over low heat until braised (30 minutes), adding sliced mushrooms during last 10 minutes of cooking. Season to taste with sea salt, freshly ground pepper and lemon juice, then serve topped with pea shoots and yoghurt and bread to the side.
Notes
Note Ghee is available from most supermarkets. Aleppo pepper is hot dried Turkish chilli, available from Turkish grocers. If unavailable, substitute roasted chilli flakes, available from Asian grocers. Ask your butcher to mince the duck meat for you. Vacuum-packed peeled chestnuts can be bought from select delicatessens. Caul fat is available from select butchers and will need to be ordered ahead. This recipe is from the April 2010 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.
Drink Suggestion: Bold young Central Otago pinot noir. Drink suggestion by Max Allen
The Latest from Gourmet Traveller
Travel NewsOur top picks of hotels with the best views of Vivid Sydney 2024
Mar 14, 2024
CruisesItaly by Sea: On board the revamped luxury ship Crystal Serenity
Mar 14, 2024
EntertainingBest whisky glasses to buy for sophisticated dram sipping
Mar 14, 2024
Restaurant NewsComing soon: Ormeggio team to open new restaurant Postino Osteria in Sydney’s Summer Hill
Mar 13, 2024
Recipe CollectionsEaster desserts that aren't hot cross buns
Mar 11, 2024
Recipe CollectionsRabbit recipes for Easter
Mar 11, 2024
Recipe CollectionsAll the Easter recipes you need
Mar 11, 2024
Vivid Sydney’s food program is back for 2024
Mar 10, 2024
Travel NewsVirgin Australia is offering 30% off flights to 36 destinations in flash sale
Mar 10, 2024
DestinationsBeyond laneways: A peek into some of Melbourne's most luxe Airbnb stays
Mar 10, 2024
EntertainingGozney's new Arc pizza oven here to heat up the alfresco entertaining game?
Mar 07, 2024
This is how women do it: Leading women in restaurants
Mar 07, 2024
Drinks NewsTop drops: An expert's best tannic wines for March
Mar 07, 2024
Travel NewsTurkish Airlines announces direct flights between Melbourne and Istanbul from March 2024
Mar 06, 2024
EntertainingYour seasonal guide to luxury Easter eggs, bunnies and hampers
Mar 05, 2024
Food NewsNoma returns to Japan for 10-week Noma Kyoto residency in 2024
Mar 05, 2024
Restaurant NewsNoma, the 'world's best restaurant', is closing in 2025
Mar 05, 2024
Restaurant ReviewsPipis Kiosk: Restaurant review
Mar 05, 2024
Recipe CollectionsOur most popular recipes for autumn
Mar 05, 2024