Gary Rhodes - Restaurant Associates UK, 4th Floor

Duck and Cranberry Pasties

Ingredients

For the duck seasoning:

2 star anise
2 tsp paprika
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder

For the pasties:

500g duck breast meat, trimmed and diced
100g shredded beef or vegetable suet, chilled until very cold
50g cold foie gras, diced (optional)
50ml goose/duck fat (plus an extra 50ml, if needed)
2½ tsp duck seasoning
2 tsp pink salt
1 tsp Maldon sea salt
Good twist of milled pepper
85g dried cranberries, chopped
2 sheets of puff pastry
1 egg
1 egg yolk

Makes 12–15 pasties

Place all the duck seasoning ingredients in a spice mill or coffee grinder and blitz them to a fine powder. Then pass it through a fine sieve for a smooth finish. Store it in an airtight container until you are ready to go.

Mince together the duck breast meat, suet and foie gras (if using), putting them through the medium dye of a mincing machine. Chop them very finely indeed if you don’t possess a mincer, or pulse them briefly in a food processor. Put the mixture in a bowl.

Over a medium heat, melt the goose or duck fat gently; don’t let it get too hot. Add the melted fat, all the seasonings and dried cranberries to the duck mixture, and work them in well until they are completely mixed together. Pass through the fine dye of a mincing machine twice.

Lightly flour the worktop and roll out the pastry, dividing it into approximately 15cm squares before brushing lightly with egg wash (made from the egg plus the extra yolk; whisk until loose and set aside any that is left over), covering the pastry. Place a tablespoon-sized ball of duck mixture towards the centre of each square, folding the pastry over and creating a triangular shape. Carefully press around the edges to seal the pasty completely. A cutter, using the ‘rolled’ edge, can be lightly pressed around the ball leaving a neat finish. Put the pasties on a non-stick baking sheet and refrigerate to set. Then cut around the ball, leaving a small border.

Preheat the oven to 190°C/375°F/gas 5. Egg wash the pasties again before baking them for 26–28 minutes until they are a deep golden brown. Halfway through cooking rebrush with egg wash and sprinkle them with a touch of Maldon salt.