Chef: Daniel Lambert
Position: Chef de Partie, Harvey’s Point Hotel, Co. Donegal, Ireland
Instagram: @daniellambert95
How did you get started?
I am originally from Dublin and my family moved to Co. Leitrim Ireland in 2010. From there, I left the city life behind and started learning how to fish. When I became hooked on fishing, my love for food grew. I mastered different techniques of all kinds of sport before starting to fillet and cook the fish I caught. I decided to study software engineering in college, but I realised after a few years that this wasn’t my passion. I missed being in the kitchen. So I went on to study Culinary Arts in LYIT Killybegs.
What was your first position?
After culinary college, I started as a dishwasher in a local Spanish restaurant in my home town of Leitrim, Ireland. I was able to quickly move up the ranks and began taking control of the kitchen.
The story behind the dish:
This dish tells the story of me moving from Dublin City (modern) to countryside Donegal (classical).
Pistachio & Chervil Crusted Duck Breast, with Velvet Cloud Sheep’s Milk Foam
What you need:
Cast iron pan
Flat tray
2 large pots
Food processor
Fine Sieve
Espuma gun or a cream gas gun with 2 gas chargers
Ingredients for duck breasts (serves 4):
2 large duck breasts
25g butter
2 sprigs thyme
Salt
Black pepper
Pistachio & chervil crust
50g pistachios
50g toasted white breadcrumbs
5g fresh chervil
salt
Ingredients for fennel puree:
2 large fennel bulbs (120g)
50g real butter
5ml vegetable oil
500ml cream
100g spinach
25ml pastis liqueur
1 tsp fennel seeds
Pickled Radishes
1 red cherry belle radish
50ml white wine vinegar
50ml white wine
50ml filtered water
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1 star anise
Velvet Cloud Sheep’s Milk Foam
1 shallot (8g)
1 clove of garlic (1g)
5ml vegetable oil
450ml velvet cloud sheep’s milk
Garnish
Micro chervil
1 green cabbage leaf
Directions for duck breast:
Score the duck breasts (skin side) and trim of any excess fat - it should look like a cross.
Season the duck breasts with the salt and black pepper.
Place the breasts in a cold cast iron pan, start to render down the fat on a low heat, 10 – 12 min approx., until the fat is rendered down completely.
Keep straining the duck fat off the pan until the desired texture of the duck breast skin is achieved, then flip the breasts and add in the butter & thyme. Wait until the butter starts to foam and start to baste the breast.
Put the breast on a flat tray covering the skin with the pistachio & chervil crust.
Cook the duck breasts in a preheated oven for 5 mins at 180 degrees Celsius, then let them rest for 10 mins before slicing in half vertically.
Directions for pistachio & chervil crust:
Blitz all ingredients together in a food processor for 2 mins until a sandy texture is achieved & season with salt.
Directions for fennel puree:
Start by heating up a large pot on high heat with butter - add in your oil first to stop the butter from burning too fast.
Finely chop the fennel and add to the pot with your toasted fennel seeds & pastis liqueur, add a flame to this mix and burn off the excess alcohol.
When the fennel has softened, turn the heat down to simmer and pour in your cream, cook for a further 15 mins.
When the fennel starts to break down, add in the spinach & cook for 1 minute.
Transfer the mix to a food processor and pass the puree.
Set aside for later.
Directions for pickled radishes:
Bring all ingredients to a boil and set aside to cool.
Thinly slice the radish (vegetable slicer recommended).
When the pickle is cool, add in the sliced radishes and leave for 2 hours to infuse.
Directions for velvet cloud sheep’s milk foam:
Finely dice the shallot & garlic.
Sweat off in a pot until soft.
Fold the mix into the sheep’s milk & strain through a fine sieve.
Pour the mix into an espuma gun or a cream gas gun with 2 gas chargers.
Set aside for later.
Directions for garnish:
Deep fry 1 cabbage crisp at 180 degrees celsius for 1 min.
Pick some fresh micro chervil and keep on a damp tissue.
Assemble:
Cut the duck breasts vertically and place the plate.
Place a tablespoon of the fennel puree on the plate and swipe around the duck breast.
Use the espuma gun to release the aerated mixture of the sheep’s milk onto the plate beside the fennel puree.
Decorate with crispy cabbage leaf, micro chervil and the pickled radishes.
Serve immediately.
Cast iron pan
Flat tray
2 large pots
Food processor
Fine Sieve
Espuma gun or a cream gas gun with 2 gas chargers
Some of the best times in my life so far happened when I was cooking.
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Story on the Pass