Recipe

1. Smoked Duck Breast

Duck Breast Brine • 2 duck breasts • 1/2 L water • 30gm salt • 12gm sugar • 1 bay leaf • 5gm crushed coriander seeds • 5gm crushed fennel seeds

Place all the ingredients except the duck breasts in a saucepan on a low heat, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat once the sugar has dissolved and cool.

With a sharp knife, score the duck breasts diagonally on the fatty skin side. Place the scored duck in the brine and refrigerate for at least two hours. Remove from the brine, rinse under cold water, then pat completely dry. Keep in the fridge until ready to smoke.

2. Smoking the duck breasts and cream cheese

• 2 brined duck breasts • 1 ½ cups manuka chips or sawdust • 50g cream cheese

Cook the duck breasts in a pre-heated pan, skin side down, for five to ten minutes to render as much fat out of the skin as possible. Pour the excess fat from the pan as you go. The skin will begin to brown as the fat draws away. Do not turn. Remove once the skin is golden brown all over. Sprinkle the wood chips and twigs in the bottom of your smoker. Place the rack with the duck breasts over the chips and the cream cheese in a foil pouch, secure the lid, then place the smoker over the burners.

After seven minutes remove the cream cheese and check the duck breasts, then check every three minutes after that. The breasts should be cooked to medium/medium rare and have a good smoked flavour and colour. Remove and rest.

Smoked Duck Breast

with Smoked Cream Cheese ‘egg’ with Boysenberry fill

Boysenberries New Zealand announced this dish as the Restaurant winner at their inaugural cuisine awards. Created by Rutherford Hotel Nelson’s Executive Chef, Jeff Scott Foster, it features smoked duck breast and a smoked cream cheese ‘egg’ with boysenberry fill. At the Rutherford they serve it accompanied by boysenberry kimchi, pickled boysenberry and beetroot in a rye and beer tart base.

3. Smoked Cream Cheese Egg with Boysenberry Fill

Smoked Cream Cheese Egg • 50g home smoked cream cheese • 50g crème fraiche • 10g cream • Salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste

Boysenberry Fill • 30ml freshly pressed boysenberry juice • ¼ tsp icing sugar • ¼ tsp xantham gum • Pinch of salt

Blend the cooled smoked cream cheese, add the crème fraiche and blend until smooth, add the cream, salt, pepper and a squeeze of lemon and pulse blend until mixed thoroughly, then cool. When serving form an egg shape with a hot spoon.

For the fill, blend all the ingredients together until it naturally thickens. For serving, using a syringe, fill the egg formed cream cheese with boysenberry filling.