English Wine Week Food Pairing: Day 3

Day three of our English Wine Week food pairing feature takes a richer turn, with delicious confit duck leg and sweet potato, paired with the stunning Simpsons Wine Estate Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir 2018.

REGION: Kent   GRAPES: Pinot Noir

Charles and Ruth Simpson have had a stellar year so far, and after their Pinot Meunier impressed last month, it was this stunning Pinot Noir that wowed me even more in May.

I do love Pinot Noir paired with game meats such as duck or rabbit. With its fusion of savoury, Burgundian-esque depth and new world fruit purity, the Rabbit Hole Pinot Noir proved to be a strong food pairing choice.

The ripe red berry and hints of darker black currant flavours paired perfectly with the duck, while the youthful tang was enough to cut through the rich sweet potato, which I spiced delicately with star anise for a slight Asian twist.

Ingredients: 2 confit duck legs, 2 sweet potatoes, 1 handful wild mushrooms, 1 carrot, white vine vinegar, edible flowers

Method:

1. Prepare confit duck legs in advance (we followed this recipe from BBC Good Food)
2. Pre-heat oven to 200^oC, place prepared duck legs on a baking tray and roast for 25-30 minutes, until the skin is crisp.
3. Peel and chop sweet potatoes, place in a pan with 100ml water and a piece of star anise, cook for 15-20 minutes until soft.
4. Remove the sweet potato from the heat and place into a blender, blend until smooth. Add a little hot water if necessary and season to taste.
5. Pan fry mushrooms in a little butter until soft and lightly coloured.
6. User a peeler to create thin bands of carrot, roll and then blanch in hot water for a minute. Remove from heat and dress lightly with white wine vinegar.
7. Apply a base of sweet potato to a plate, place duck leg in the centre, surround with the carrot rolls, wild mushrooms and edible flowers.