We think many dishes can be improved with the addition or accompaniment of some Kinsale Mead. Luckily chef and restaurant owner, Olivier Queva agrees with us. We were delighted to collaborate with Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board and with Olivier, from Max’s one of our favourite restaurants in Kinsale.
Inspired by the tales of mead and honey and the feasts of our Celtic ancestors, we think you’ll agree this is a tempting dish with tantalising flavours and aromas that will delight those lucky enough to meet around your table, altogether it’s an amazing dinner for your winter celebrations.
Roast duck and Wild Red Mead
Release your inner Viking, embrace your inner chieftan or unleash your inner shieldmaiden. Let’s get medieval and celebrate the season with this mouthwatering Skeaghanore roast duck cooked with our delicious berry Wild Red Mead and blackberry sauce with pearl barley risotto, honey glazed parsnips and apples. A hearty feast as good as this is made to be shared, relished and lingered over.
We worked hard on this over the lockdown and are delighted to be able to finally share with you the results of our collaboration with Bord Bia – Irish Food Board and with Olivier, the fantastic recipe below.
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Roast Skeaghanore duck and pearl barley risotto with Wild Red Mead
Ingredients:
Duck:

Skeaghanore Duck (1.9 Kg)
4 Bay Leaves
4 Garlic Cloves roughly chopped
Medium Onion roughly chopped
Small handful of fresh thyme

Method:
Preheat the oven to 170C
Stuff the duck with the rest of the ingredients.
Cook in the oven for about 2:30 hours until the duck is fully cooked.

Ingredients:

Wild 
Red Mead & Blackberry sauce
Knob of butter
1/4 medium onion finely chopped
60ml Wild Red Mead
120ml of Duck Stock
punnet of blackberries (about 140g)
1 tbsp of local honey
1 tsp cornflour mixed with a little water
salt and pepper

Method:

Heat the butter in saucepan and add the onions and sweat.
Add blackberries and honey and cook for 10mins
Add the Wild Red Mead and Duck stock and let it simmer.
Thicken with cornflour, continue to simmer,
Season with a little salt and black pepper.Pearl Barley with Wild Red Mead Ingredients:
Pearl barley
40g Butter
3/4 of medium onion, finely chopped
sprig of fresh thyme
90ml Mead
320g of pearl barley
750ml duck stock
25g parmesan cheese
40g butter

Method:
Soak the pearl barley in cold water for two hours, then rinse.
Blanch in cold water and bring to the boil and drain to remove the starch.
Heat the butter in large oven pot and sweat the onions for 10mins
Add the pearl barley into the pot and mix well.
Add 120ml of Wild Red Mead, bring to the boil and reduce by half, 1-2 mins
Add 750ml Duck Stock, cook for 15mins
Pearl Barley can be finished in oven at at 200C for 15-20 mins.
The liquid can be reduced further on the hob once cooked.
Season with salt & pepper.
Once cooked, add parmesan and butter and mix until melted.

Roast Skeghanore Duck Wild Red Mead

Ingredients

Parsnips
Roast 3 medium parsnips cut into quarters in duck fat for 15-20mins.

Apples
Peel a good sized apple, cut into 4 and hollow out the core.
Cook in a little oil and butter for 10mins or until golden on either side but still quite firm.
To serve, add some cooked blackberries to the hollowed out centres.

Pouring Wild Red Mead

Accompanied by a generous glass or two of Kinsale Wild Red Mead, we think you’ll agree this is a feast worthy of a High King!

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