Surrey Homes | SH101 | June 2023 | Education Supplement inside

Duck with honey & fennel
Serves 4
Our favourite duck supplier is Creedy
Carver in Devon who grow incredible
quality free-range ducks at their farm
in Devon. The poultry industry has
been badly affected by avian influenza
so we – chefs and consumers alike
– need to support these struggling
farmers. We have Creedy Carver duck
on our menu throughout June.
• 4 high welfare duck breasts
• 2 tbsp fennel seeds, crushed
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 large fennel bulbs
• 30g butter
• 150ml light chicken stock or water
• 50ml white wine or Pernod
1. Pre-heat the oven to 180°C.
Prepare the braised fennel by cutting
the bulbs into quarters, saving
any green fronds for garnish.
2. Using a shallow sauté pan with a
lid, pan fry the fennel quarters in the
melted butter until lightly golden,
season and add the chicken stock and
wine or Pernod to the pan. Cover with
a cartouche or circle of scrunched up
greaseproof paper, put on the lid and
braise in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes,
until soft to a knife tip, and the chicken
and butter stock has reduced. Remove
and keep warm.
3. Lightly score the duck skin every
half centimetre across the whole
breast and season well on both sides
with sea salt and the crushed fennel
seeds. Place in a cold frying pan and
turn the heat on low, to let the fat
render slowly and the skin to crisp.
This will take at least 10 minutes skin
side down – don’t be tempted to turn
the heat up as the fennel seeds will
burn. You may want to empty some
of the duck fat from the pan during
cooking – save for roast potatoes.
4. When the skin is crisp, take off the
heat and turn the breast over. Brush
the honey on to each duck breast
and put in the oven for five minutes.
Rest for at least 10 minutes, basting
the meat with the honey and duck
fat juices. Slice the duck breast and
serve with the braised fennel.