Marinated duck breast with thyme polenta

"My menus and cooking are from my heart,” says 29-year-old sous chef Alex Jenkinson from The Square at the Vineyard Hotel in Cape Town. Such passion is good to hear as for a long time The Square has languished in the culinary shallows of being labelled ‘a mere hotel restaurant’ – something which the team there is determined to change. This winter, The Square is embarking on an exciting programme of wine-matching dinners, themed months and other events which will see Alex, along with fellow sous chef JB Louw and head chef Alex Docherty, upping the ante and offering an exciting array of top-quality brasserie food.

 

Born in SA of British parents, sous chef Alex flitted between the two countries before returning to Cape Town to study under David Higgs (“I knew nothing about him at the time, I just chose his course from the Internet!”). After graduation, he worked alongside Societi Bistro’s Stefan Marais at The Table Bay, with Eric Bulpitt and George Jardine at Jardine and spent an inspirational two years with Michelin-starred chef Herbert Berger at 1 Lombard Street in London, before joining The Square in November last year.

Matching food and wine is an everyday part of Alex’s job as the Vineyard has forged partnerships with several local wineries who regularly host dinners and events at The Square. “I usually like to start with the food and then find the wine to match it, because if you do it the other way round, you always end up drinking too much!” he laughs, before revealing plans for group tasting sessions involving winemakers and members of the public to help decide on the perfect matches for these evenings.

When Alex first tried Rijk’s Reserve Pinotage 2007, he was quite surprised. “In my mind, I was expecting something much bolder and more powerful, but this is a rounded, delicate, balanced wine with sweet berries and plums – hence the inspiration for the dish.” Asian-spiced duck with plums is a time-honoured pairing and Alex used thyme polenta to match the herbal notes of the wine – a fusion of different cuisines prompted by the quality of ingredients available. “I think potatoes in SA are terrible! And you can quote me on that!” Polenta it is then, Alex!

MARINATED DUCK BREAST WITH THYME POLENTA (SERVES 6)

MARINADE
6 duck breasts
300ml Rijk's Reserve Pinotage 2007
2 star anise
1 bay leaf
1 t black peppercorns
sprig of thyme
½ cinnamon stick
1 clove garlic
1 orange zest

1. Trim excess fat off the duck and score the skin with a sharp knife.
2. In a shallow dish, mix the marinade ingredients. Place the duck in the liquid, with the skin facing up, cover and refrigerate overnight.

PLUM VINAIGRETTE
3 fairly ripe yellow plums
1 T brown sugar
excess liquid from duck marinade
2 T balsamic vinegar
1 T extravirgin
olive oil
knob of butter
salt and black pepper to season

1. Pass the marinade through a strainer.

2. Destone and cut the plums into small dice and caramelise in a saucepan with brown sugar. 

3. Add the strained marinade from the duck breasts and reduce, while cooking the plums until tender. Finish with balsamic vinegar and a knob of butter, whisk in the oil and season well.

Polenta
250g polenta
500ml milk
2 T thyme
120g parmesan
80g butter
salt and black pepper to season

1. Line a tray 2cm deep with cling film (30x20cm) and set aside.

2. Chop the thyme leaves and add to the milk in a saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add the polenta gradually, whisking continually to prevent lumps. Cook until thick and smooth (10min). Remove from the heat, fold in parmesan and finish with butter. Adjust for seasoning.

3. Pour the polenta into the pre-prepared tray. Place in fridge to set, then cut into desired portion size.

TO SERVE
1. Cook the seasoned duck breast, skin down, in a dry pan until crispy. Flip over, remove excess fat and return to skin side down, adding a knob of butter and sprig of thyme and baste. Place in oven at 180ºC for five minutes, baste again and then rest for 10 minutes before serving. Drain the excess fat and use the remainder to sauté the wellseasoned bok choy. 

2. Brown
lightly floured polenta portions in a medium-heat pan with a little oil, then heat through in oven for five minutes
while the duck is resting. 

3. To assemble, place the polenta in the centre of a plate and lay the bok choy on top. Layer the thinly sliced duck on top and drizzle the plate with sauce.

PREPARED BY
Alex Jenkinson of
THE SQUARE
The Vineyard Hotel, Newlands, Cape Town
TEL: 021 657 4500
www.vineyard.co.za