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Mallard arancini with mushroom sauce

These deep-fried mallard and risotto balls make an irresistible starter. Treat someone special as part of a romantic 3-course dinner, or bump up the quantities and share them around, with small bowls of velvety mushroom sauce set out for dipping.

Time

6-8 hours

Serves

2

Difficulty

Hard

Ingredients

• 4 x Field & Flower mallard duck legs
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 50g fresh thyme
• 200ml rapeseed oil

For the arancini:
• 250g risotto rice
• 2 x banana shallots
• 500ml chicken stock
• 100g panko breadcrumbs
• 3 x eggs
• 100g plain flour
• 15ml truffle oil
• Vegetable oil, for frying

For the sauce:
• 500g chestnut mushrooms
• 50g unsalted butter
• Salt
• 250ml chicken stock
• 150ml double cream

Instructions

1. Dry the mallard legs and place in a deep ovenproof dish. Cover with the rapeseed oil and then add the thyme and garlic.

2. Slow cook the mallard legs at 90C for 6-8 hours. Allow to cool, then shred the meat into a mixing bowl, being careful not to add sinew or bones. Cover and leave to one side.

3. To make the arancini, dice the shallots as small as you can and add them to a saucepan with a little oil. Add the risotto rice and start cooking, moving the rice around to coat it in the oil and lightly sweat the grains.

4. Slowly add the warm chicken stock 100ml at a time. You want the rice to be a little firm, as you'll finish cooking it once you've formed the risotto balls.

5. Once the rice is cooked enough for arancini, add the confit mallard and truffle oil and mix well, then set aside to cool down.

6. To make the mushroom sauce, slice the chestnut mushrooms and fry them with the butter. Once soft, add the chicken stock and double cream, then reduce until the mixture is creamy and sticky. Pour into a blender and mix until smooth.

7. Crack the eggs into a bowl, and place the breadcrumbs into another.

8. Roll the arancini mix into 40g balls and dust them with the plain flour, making sure they're fully coated. Dip each ball into the egg and then roll in the breadcrumbs, making sure they are covered completely.

9. Pour the vegetable oil into a deep, heavy-bottomed frying pan and put over a medium heat. Drop in a few breadcrumbs, if they sizzle and float then the oil is ready.

10. Use a slotted spoon to carefully place four arancini at a time into the oil. Deep-fry for 8 minutes, or until golden and crispy. Transfer to a double layer of kitchen paper to drain.

11. Serve the arancini with the creamy mushroom sauce in a jug on the side, or in a bowl for dipping.