Marcus Wareing’s Tales from a Kitchen Garden episode 5

Marcus Wareing's Tales from a Kitchen Garden episode 5

Marcus Wareing’s Tales from a Kitchen Garden episode 5: Marcus is embarking on a new venture, and it’s all about ducks. While many might think it’s as simple as just bringing the ducks to a lake, Marcus understands that there’s more to it. Taking a trip to the picturesque landscapes of Devon, he uncovers the ideal breed tailored for his smallholding. Along the way, he gathers invaluable insights, acquiring knowledge from local experts about the nuances of rearing these waterfowls.


 

 



 

Upon his return to the farm, the rich produce from the kitchen garden serves as a source of inspiration. This bounty prompts him to visit a nearby community fridge, an initiative that intrigues him. Keen to learn about its operations and benefits to the community, Marcus delves deeper into the concept. As he’s engrossed in his discovery, a friendly neighbour pays a visit, guiding Marcus through the lush hedgerows and bushes that envelop the smallholding. Marcus is enlightened about the array of wild edibles that thrive in his surroundings.

 

 

When the eagerly awaited ducks finally make their arrival, Marcus ensures their safety and comfort in their newly curated habitat. With everything in place, he then turns to the kitchen, where he crafts a sumptuous meal. Drawing inspiration from the time-honoured British classic, Marcus presents his take on the ploughman’s lunch, offering a treat that’s both nostalgic and innovative.

 

Marcus Wareing’s Tales from a Kitchen Garden episode 5

 

Marcus Wareing (born 29 June 1970) is an English celebrity chef who is currently Chef-Owner of the one-Michelin-starred restaurant Marcus (formerly Marcus Wareing at the Berkeley) in Knightsbridge. Since 2014, Wareing has been a judge on MasterChef: The Professionals, following the departure of Michel Roux Jr. from the programme.

Wareing first worked at the Savoy Hotel under chef Anton Edelmann in 1988 at the age of 18 where he was employed as a commis chef, before leaving in 1993 to join Albert Roux at Michelin starred Le Gavroche where he first met Gordon Ramsay. Stints at other restaurants in New York City, Amsterdam and at Gravetye Manor in Sussex followed. Wareing joined Gordon Ramsay’s Aubergine when it opened in 1993, where he became Sous Chef behind Head Chef Ramsay and would go on to work with him over the course of the following 15 years, which led to Wareing being called Ramsay’s protégé. While he was at Aubergine in 1995, Wareing was awarded the title of Young Chef of the Year by the Restaurant Association.

He would later credit Ramsay with teaching him to cook, describing it as “the most important time in my life”. He left Aubergine for a year in 1995 to work with Daniel Boulud in America, and Guy Savoy in France. His return to the UK was also to be his first head chef role, of new restaurant L’Oranger, which was owned by A-Z Restaurants, which had also owned Aubergine, with stakes held by both Wareing and Ramsay. At the age of 25 he earned his first Michelin star as head chef whilst at L’Oranger. He gave Angela Hartnett her first job in a restaurant.

Kitchen garden

The traditional kitchen garden, vegetable garden, also known as a potager (from the French jardin potager) or in Scotland a kailyaird, is a space separate from the rest of the residential garden – the ornamental plants and lawn areas. It is used for growing plants for eating, flavouring food, and often some medicinal plants, especially historically. The plants are grown for use by the owner and their household, though some seasonal surpluses are given away or sold; a commercial operation growing a variety of vegetables is a market garden (or a farm). The kitchen garden is different not only in its history, but also its functional design. It differs from an allotment in that a kitchen garden is on private land attached or very close to the dwelling. It is regarded as essential that the kitchen garden could be quickly accessed by the cook.

Historically, most small country gardens were probably mainly or entirely used as kitchen gardens, but in large country houses the kitchen garden was a segregated area, normally rectangular and enclosed by a wall or hedge, walls being useful for training fruit trees as well as offering shelter from wind. Such large examples very often included greenhouses and furnace-heated hothouses for more tender delicacies, and also flowers for display in the house; an orangery was the ultimate type.

In large houses, the kitchen garden was typically placed diagonally to the rear and side of the house, not impeding the views from the front and rear facades, but still quick to access. In some cases, hardy flowers for cutting were grown outside there, rather than in the flower garden. A large country house hardly expected to buy any vegetables, herbs or fruit, and the surplus was often distributed as presents; the walled example at Croome Court in England covers seven acres, and the gardens have a large “Temple Greenhouse”, an orangery in the form of a Roman Temple.

Duck ploughman’s with spiced blackberry chutney

Impress your friends with this intriguing twist on a ploughman’s lunch. It’s easy to make, but you’ll need to start 2–3 days ahead. The duck breasts are cured, like ham, and the legs are slowly cooked in duck fat, to be served whole or made into rillettes. Serve with good bread and a sharp sheep’s cheese.

Method:

  • For the cured duck, toast the fennel and coriander seeds in a small dry frying pan, then grind to a fine powder. Put the rock salt, sugar, five-spice powder, ground spices and orange zest in a blender or food processor and blitz briefly. Place about half of the mixture in a small tray (just large enough to hold the duck breasts in a single layer). Score the skin of the duck breasts and lay them skin-side down on the salt mixture, then pack the remaining salt mixture on top. Cover and leave in the fridge for at least 48 hours and up to 3 days. When ready, the meat will have a cured ham-like texture and the colour will have changed.
  • To make the confit duck, preheat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3.
  • Put the duck legs into a small roasting tin and add the duck fat, garlic, peppercorns and herbs, ensuring the fat covers the duck. Cover with foil and cook in the oven for around 2 hours, until the meat is falling off the bone.
  • To serve the legs whole, pat them with kitchen paper to remove excess fat. To make duck rillettes, shred the meat from the bones and stir through enough of the reserved fat to bind together. Season to taste.
  • To make the blackberry chutney, put all the ingredients into a large, heavy-based pan over a medium heat and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 30–40 minutes, until all the liquid is gone. Pour into sterilised jars.
  • To serve, rinse the salt off the cured duck breasts and pat dry with kitchen paper. Thinly slice the cured duck and arrange on a large board with the hot confit legs (or rillettes), bread, cheese, blackberries and chutney.
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