French Tapas – 3 Hot Mains

FOR DUCK BREASTS

1. Score the skin of your duck breasts well as this will help to render out the fat and create the cripyness you want. Season well on both sides of the duck. Heat a frying pan with no added fat and place the duck breasts skin side down. Don’t move them, just let them cook away for 10 minutes on a medium to low heat. Then turn them over and fry for a further 5 minutes. This will give you rare meat. Increase cooking time if you prefer your duck less pink.
2. Remove your duck breasts and cover with foil and leave to rest for a good 5 minutes. In a bowl, whisk up your Balsamic vinegar and oil and add any meat juices from the duck that are left after resting. Slice and serve with some of the dressing drizzled over.

FOR THE TARTIFLETTE

1. Pre-heat your oven to 180C/160F/Gas 4. Cook your cubed potatoes in boiling salted water for 10 minutes until they are just cooked and still firm.
2. Fry your chopped onion with your lardons. Dice your Reblochon (or Brie) cheese and in a bowl, mix it with your potatoes, onions, lardons, creme fraiche and seasoning. Distribute the mixture evenly into your oven proof dishes or ramekins. Drizzle over a little wine in each dish just to cover and bake uncovered for 15 minutes until the top is browned and it’s all bubbling and oozy.

FOR THE STUFFED COURGETTES

1. Pre-heat oven to 180C/160F/Gas 4. First, make a little well in the middle of your courgettes for stuffing. I used a melon baller to do this, just make sure that you do not dig your hole all the way through the courgette. Then cook your courgettes in salted boiling water for 4-5 minutes.
2. In a pan, fry your finely chopped shallot and once soft, add your mushrooms and garlic and season well. Let this cook until it reduces down into a nice more compactable stuffing.
3. Stuff your courgettes with some of the mushroom duxelles. Mix your breadcrumbs with your Parmesan and sprinkle a little over the top of each courgette then drizzle with a little olive oil. Place them in a baking dish and roast for 30 minutes.