Duck Breast with Sunchokes, Rhubarb, Watercress and Onions

Trim excess fat off duck breasts and remove small tenders.

Score skin with sharp knife at 1 cm intervals so skin is covered with cross marks. Season both sides with salt and pepper.

Place skin down onto a pan over medium heat and cook for three minutes until golden brown.

Flip breasts over and add butter and thyme, cook for 30 seconds.

Flip breasts again, and place in a 400ºF oven for 4-6 minutes.

Remove breasts from pan and let rest for 4 minutes. Add stock and white wine vinegar to pan with remaining butter and thyme, and reduce over high heat until sauce slightly thickens.

Place all ingredients in a heavy bottomed pot. Slowly stew the rhubarb until shiny and begins falling apart.

Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth. If necessary, add one or two tablespoons of water to help blend.

Adjust seasoning with maple syrup and vinegar until sweet and sour. Set aside in container and leave to cool at room temperature.

Simmer milk and cream in a heavy bottomed pot over low-medium heat. Add sunchoke to pot and cook until milk and cream is reduced by ¼, and sunchoke is soft.

Transfer to a blender and purée on high, adding a few drops of water to help blend. Purée until smooth, transfer to a container and let cool.

Make a bed of thyme, rosemary, garlic and salt on a small baking tray. Firmly place the remaining sunchoke onto the bed, and bake in a 400ºF oven until the sunchoke starts caramelizing and rendering juices.

Remove from the oven and let cool at room temperature.

Place onions into a heavy bottomed pot with garlic and oil on low heat and simmer for approximately 1-2 hours.

Check onions every half an hour to see if they’ve softened. Once soft, remove from oil and salt.

To Assemble: Reheat the sunchoke purée in a pot over medium heat and pan roast the sunchoke until nicely caramelized and skin is crispy.

Add dollops of rhubarb purée and sunchoke purée around plate. Place roasted sunchoke on the purées and scatter onions round.

Slice your duck breasts in half and add one half to each plate. Sauce the dish with your pan jus and place 3-4 sprigs of watercress around plate. Enjoy!