Duck breast in a fig and nut crust

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 duck breasts
• 100 ml oil (grape seed oil or walnut oil)
• 4 figs, dried
• 60 g hazelnuts
• Salt and pepper from the mill
• 2 small shallots, very finely diced
• 50 g butter
• 6 peppercorns, finely crushed
• 3 juniper berries, finely crushed
• 1 sprig(s) of thyme
• 100 ml red wine
• 300 mg jus (game jus)
• 1 large kohlrabi
• 1 lemon(s), juice
• 50 g butter
• 1 pinch(s) of sugar
• 100 ml vegetable stock
• 1 tsp white balsamic vinegar
• 4 pieces of fig(s), fresh
• 100 ml port wine, red
• ½ orange(s), juice and peel, untreated
• 1 star anise
• ½ vanilla pod(s), scraped pulp
• 25 g sugar
• 30 g butter, frozen, in pieces

Instructions

Working time approx. 1 hour; Total time approx. 1 hour

Canard aux figues sèches and aux noisettes

Sauté the diced shallots in 20g butter along with the thyme, peppercorns, and juniper berries until translucent. Deglaze with red wine and reduce the liquid by half. Top up with the game jus and reduce again until the sauce has a light thickening. Strain through a sieve and remove any excess fat. Peel the kohlrabi and cut into thin sticks. Immediately place in water acidified with lemon juice. For the crust, finely chop the dried figs and hazelnuts and mix together. Peel the fresh figs and sauté them in port wine mixed with sugar, orange juice, orange zest, star anise, and vanilla bean paste. When the port wine is slightly syrupy, stir in the ice-cold butter pieces to coat the figs beautifully. Remove the kohlrabi from the water. Heat the butter in a saucepan and add the kohlrabi. Season with salt, pepper, and a little sugar. Pour in the vegetable stock, cover, and sauté the kohlrabi until soft. Season to taste with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar. Brown the duck breasts in a very hot pan without any fat on the skin, turn, and cook for another 2 minutes. Let them rest in the preheated oven at 80°C for about 15 minutes. Then heat the grill to 250°C. Place the duck breasts skin-on in a baking dish and brush with the sauce. Spread the nut crust on the meat side, press down firmly, and grill the duck breasts for 30 seconds. Let rest briefly, then slice. Pour the sauce over the preheated plates. Place the duck slices on top and arrange the port wine figs and kohlrabi on top.