Anything I can improve on? This is a test run for my GCSE mock NEA2 practical. So what can I improve bar wiping the plate🫢
First attempt at the dish
I know it’s not a mad fancy dish like I see on here, but I have tried my best!
by Gonk_droid_supreame
12 Comments
Give that bad boy a nice quick sear for some color and let that sauce reduce til it’s more towards a glaze/darker hue. Sounds good, I’d smash.
Looks like a delicious home cooked meal.
For me personally the entire point of duck confit is a combination of crispy skin/exterior and soft braisy-meat-texture interior. If you don’t sear the outside and get it crispy, I feel like it’s missing half the appeal
I’d sear with duck fat from the confit. Wipe down the plate rim. Top with some crispy fried shallot.
The beans are a tad yellow, less cooked and more charred would be good. Put it in a stack, don’t line it up. 3 fondant potatoes instead of 2, hide it partially under the duck to give a little bit of height. Lean the duck on the potatoes so it’s on a slight angle and have the bone face up. The skin of the duck can be darker, doesn’t look that crisp right now. Sauce looks fine to me
That sauce needs another 5-10 minutes on high heat and a couple pats of butter to tighten it up and make it shine.
One or three potatoes instead of two.
And then as others have said, reduce the sauce more, and crisp up the skin in rendered duck fat. Restructuring the plate to be less “meat and two veg” would also help (plenty of ways to do so, and some good advice in other comments).
Before you confit it you should cut around the leg bone. Before broiling you remove the skin and cartilage from the end of the bone. I also prefer to remove the thigh bone. It is easier to eat and therefore more elegant. I’d also crisp it a bit more in the broiler. That can cause the skin on the leg to break if you don’t French it and the thigh bone to protrude.
I have always cooked confit to the point it starts to come away from the bone. It can be stored months in the fat in the fridge. I will gently heat to melt any clinging fat, and save. I like the broiler to crisp up, although it is so rich I usually only use part of a leg in a dish. This shows how the flesh pulls away from the bone.
Cook the beans less, they look like they’ve been murdered
And sear the duck skin so it’s crispy after it’s been confited
Blanch your beans beforehand and give them a quick sear for nicer presentation
That duck looks soggy. sear it (as recommended by many) and/or sprinkle some green herb like chive or parsley for some color appeal