Rick Stein’s Cornwall episode 9: At Golitha Falls, where the River Fowey tumbles down to the sea, Rick meets Dawn French, Britain’s queen of comedy, who has made Cornwall her home.
In the shadow of Devonport Dockyard, he boards the world’s busiest chain ferry to cross the wide River Tamar, the ancient watery boundary between the counties of Devon and Cornwall, where he discovers an unusual event involving an elephant from the circus. And in a small pocket of the county is a man who thinks he’s discovered the next superfood, which Rick uses to cook up a delicious duck dish.
In this new series Rick Stein reveals the Cornwall that he knows and loves: a unique part of the British isles with a strong sense of identity and a history rooted in its Celtic past. With his famous natural inquisitiveness, Rick shares the road less travelled – championing the food, history, music, art and culture of the county many locals argue should be a country in its own right.
Rick Stein’s Cornwall episode 9 recipe:
Duck breast with a sea buckthorn, chilli and ginger sauce
Sea buckthorn berries are quite tart, sort of like sour orange with hints of mango or pineapple. The berries ripen between August and December and can be found in many coastal areas. If you are not fortunate enough to be able to pick them fresh, they are available to order frozen online.
Method:
- Season the duck breasts well with salt and freshly ground black pepper, then fry them in a pan lightly brushed with rapeseed oil. Cook for about 4–5 minutes or until the skin is browned and some of the fat has rendered.
- Turn over and continue to cook for a further 2–3 minutes. Remove from the pan and set aside, covered with kitchen foil, to rest for 5–10 minutes. Do not wash the pan.
- Put the buckthorn berries in a different pan with the orange juice and cook over a medium heat for about 5–6 minutes, or until soft and pulpy. Pass through a sieve and discard the seeds. Set aside.
- Pour away any excess duck fat in the frying pan and add the ginger, garlic, lemongrass, the white parts of the spring onions, chilli and star anise and fry until softened and fragrant. Add the orange and sea buckthorn berry juices and simmer to reduce the volume of liquid and intensify the flavour. Add the nam pla and sugar, to taste.
- Slice the rested dusk breasts on the diagonal and add to the pan to cook through in the sauce. Throw in the sliced green spring onion tops and allow to wilt.
- For the greens, heat the oil in a wok, then add the chopped garlic and ginger. Stir-fry for a minute, then add the spring greens and kale, keep them moving as they start to wilt for a minute or two. Season with soy sauce.
- Serve the duck and sauce alongside the wilted greens.