Wild Hampshire mallard with rosehip and a swede and hazelnut hotpot

Instructions

1. Step 1

   Prepare the mallards a day in advance to dry out the skin. Remove and reserve the legs and cut out and discard the wishbones (and the guts if still attached). Lightly score the skin and place in the fridge uncovered for a day so the skin can dry out – this will result in a crispier skin when cooked

2. Step 2

   The elderberries also need pickling overnight. Place the water, vinegar and sugar into a pan and bring to the boil. Put the elderberries into a container and pour the hot liquid over. Let the pickle cool before sealing, then leave for 24 hours before using

3. Step 3

   The legs can also be cooked in advance. Preheat an oven to 120°C/gas mark 1/2. Place the legs in an oven tray or dish and season with salt and pepper. Slowly roast the legs for at least 4 hours, or until the meat is falling off the bone. Once cooked, leave until cool enough to handle then pick the meat from the bones. Reserve the shredded meat in a container in the fridge

4. Step 4

   Place the rosehips in a pan and cover with water, the sugar and a few drops of vinegar. Simmer until soft, then blend and pass through a sieve to remove the seeds. Transfer to a squeezy bottle and reserve in the fridge (any purée not used for this dish can be frozen)

5. Step 5

   On the day you plan to serve, preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4. Peel the swede and wrap in foil with salt and oil, then roast for an hour or until soft. Leave to cool and, once cool enough to handle, use a ring cutter the size of your hotpot serving pans or ramekins to cut out 4 discs around 5mm thick. Place a large frying pan over a high heat with a dash of oil and colour the slices a little on each side, then set aside. Dice the rest of the swede and crush with a pinch of salt and pepper

6. Step 6

   To cook the mallard crowns, turn the oven up to 220°C/gas mark 7. Ensure the birds are at room temperature before cooking. Brush the skin with honey, season with salt then place in the oven for 6 minutes. Turn the crowns upside-down then cook for a further 2 minutes. Remove from the oven and blowtorch the skin until blackened. Leave to rest covered in foil for a good 30-40 minutes – the residual heat from the brief but fierce blast in the oven will ensure perfectly pink meat

7. Step 7

   To assemble the hotpot, heat up the crushed swede and the picked leg meat in a pan. Stir in the hazelnuts, chopped herbs (reserving 4 pinches to garnish) and a knob of butter to loosen the mixture a little. Taste and season with salt and pepper, then divide into the serving pans or ramekins and top with the swede discs

8. Step 8

   Spoon some jus over the discs of swede then place the hotpots under the grill until bubbling. Top with pickled elderberries and the reserved chopped herbs

9. Step 9

   Carve the breasts off the rested mallards and transfer to the serving plates. Add a dot of rose hip pureé beside it and serve with the hotpot on the side