Duck raviolo with finger lime beurre blanc and caramelised Brussels sprouts recipe, Curtis Stone, Maude, Los Angeles (2024)

• 8 large Brussels sprouts, green outer leaves only
• 1 tbsp olive oil

• 800 gm sea salt flakes or rock salt
• 4 duck egg yolks (see note)

• 1 rainbow silverbeet stem, cut into 4cm pieces
• 60 ml (¼ cup) Champagne vinegar
• 50 gm caster sugar
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 clove
• 1 piece thinly peeled lemon rind

• 2 tsp olive oil
• ½ olive oil
• ½ golden shallot, finely chopped
• ½ bunch rainbow silverbeet, leaves only
• 30 ml dry white wine
• 60 ml (¼ cup) chicken stock
• 10 gm butter, diced

• 3 duck breasts, skin and sinew removed, coarsely minced (see note)
• 1 duck egg yolk (see note)
• 180 ml (¾ cup) thickened cream

• 250 gm (1 2/3 cups) “00” flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3 large egg yolks
• 2 large eggs
• 1 tsp olive oil

• 125 ml (½ cup) Champagne vinegar
• 125 ml (½ cup) mandarin juice
• 125 ml (½ cup) dry white wine
• 2 thyme sprigs
• 1 tarragon sprig
• ½ tsp whole black peppercorns
• 225 gm chilled unsalted butter, diced
• 1½ tbsp finger lime pearls (from about 8 finger limes)

Main

• 1

  For salt-cured duck egg yolks, spread half the salt evenly in a 23cm-square baking dish and make four indentations with the back of a spoon. Carefully place a yolk in each indentation, ensuring they stay intact, cover carefully with remaining salt, then cover dish with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 5 days to cure. Preheat oven to 75C and line a small oven tray with baking paper. Carefully remove yolks from salt, rinse under cold running water to remove any white spots and place on prepared tray, then dry yolks in oven (9-10 hours, or in a dehydrator at 65C for about 12 hours) and refrigerate in an airtight container until required.

• 2

  For pickled silverbeet stem, place stem in a heatproof bowl. Stir remaining ingredients and 60ml water in a saucepan over medium-high heat to dissolve sugar, bring to the boil, pour over silverbeet stem, cool and refrigerate for 1 hour to pickle. Pickled stem will keep for 3 days.

• 3

  For braised silverbeet, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shallot and sauté until translucent (1-1½ minutes), then add silverbeet and stir to wilt (1-2 minutes). Add wine, reduce by half, then add stock and butter, season to taste and simmer until silverbeet is tender (3-4 minutes). Transfer to a tray with a slotted spoon to cool, squeeze excess moisture from leaves, then coarsely chop and set aside.

• 4

  For duck mousse, process duck, egg yolk, 2 tsp fine salt and ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper in a food processor until mixture starts to form a ball. With machine running, drizzle in cream until emulsified. Pass through a fine sieve, then fold in ¾ cup braised silverbeet leaves. To test seasoning wrap a teaspoonful of duck mousse in plastic wrap and poaching in simmering water for 1-2 minutes, taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Place mixture in a piping bag (without a nozzle fitted) and refrigerate. Filling can be made a day ahead.

• 5

  For pasta dough, place flour in a large bowl and form a well in the centre. Add egg yolks, eggs, olive oil and ½ tsp fine sea salt into well, then whisk with a fork to combine. Gradually mix in flour to form a shaggy dough (avoid incorporating any hardened bits of flour). Transfer to a lightly floured bench and knead until smooth. Divide in half, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and refrigerate to rest (1 hour).

• 6

  Working with a piece of pasta dough at a time, pass through the widest setting of a pasta machine, dusting with flour as needed to prevent sticking. Fold into thirds and repeat rolling and folding 4 four times, then continue rolling and folding, reducing settings notch by notch until dough is 1mm thick. Cut crossways into two pieces, one slightly longer than the other. Place a 5cm cutter on the shorter pasta sheet (do not cut through), then spoon 40gm duck mousse filling into the cutter, then remove cutter. Repeat 3 more times at 12cm intervals. Lightly brush with water around each filling, then top with longer pasta sheet, pressing closely around filling to seal. Cut out ravioli using a 9cm cutter, then place in a single layer on a tray lined with baking paper and dusted with flour, and cover loosely with plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining pasta and filling to make 8 ravioli and refrigerate until required.

• 7

  Blanch Brussels sprout leaves until bright green (30 seconds), refresh in iced water, drain well and set aside.

• 8

  For finger lime beurre blanc, boil vinegar, juice, wine, thyme, tarragon and peppercorns in a saucepan over medium heat and reduce to 2 tbsp (12-15 minutes). Whisk in butter, a cube at a time, beating well to emulsify between additions and thinning with a little hot water if necessary. Strain through a fine sieve, stir in finger lime, season to taste, keep warm.

• 9

  Cook ravioli in a large saucepan of boiling salted water until cooked through and al dente (4 minutes), then remove with a slotted spoon, blot off excess water with paper towels and place in warmed serving bowls. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat until hot, add Brussels sprouts leaves and fry until crisp (30 seconds each side), drain briefly on paper towels and season lightly with salt. Spoon a little beurre blanc over each raviolo, scatter with pickled chard stem and Brussels sprout leaves, finely grate cured duck egg over the top and serve.