Cured duck breast, tobacco rhubarb, duck scratching, pollen and avocado frozen mousse

Ingredients

For curing the duck breasts
2 duck breasts, skin removed (reserved)
100g/3½oz table salt
100g/3½oz sugar
500ml/18fl oz water
200g/7oz good-quality sea salt
6 star anise
1 tbsp pink peppercorns
6 black cardamom pods, crushed
2 tbsp vanilla-infused oil
For the duck scratching
skin from the duck breasts above
fine sea salt
For the duck tongues
12 duck tongues
duck fat, to cover
For the bee pollen and avocado frozen mousse
0.7g bee pollen (available from health food shops)
1 ripe avocado
25g/1oz double cream
½ free-range egg white
pinch salt
squeeze fresh lime juice
For the tobacco rhubarb
200g/7oz sugar syrup
1 good-quality cigar (optional)
2 large stems rhubarb
For the pickled shallots
12 shallots, peeled
100ml/3½fl oz white wine vinegar
50ml/2fl oz water
50g/2oz sugar
To serve
mizuna shoots
red-veined sorrel
purple shiso
spring onion, sliced
cooked shelled peas
1 pink grapefruit, segmented
olive oil, preferably made with Kalamata olives

Method

1. For curing the duck breasts, place the breasts on a baking tray, cover with table salt and leave for two hours in the fridge.
2. After two hours, wash all the curing salt off with fresh cold water.
3. Mix all the other curing ingredients together (except for the vanilla oil) in a shallow non-reactive bowl and add the duck. Cover and leave this in the fridge for 12 hours to cure.
4. After 12 hours, remove the duck from the brine and wash again under cold water.
5. Rub the breasts with the vanilla oil and wrap in plastic using a commercial vacuum-packing machine. Poach the duck breast at 65C/150F for about two hours or until the core temperature is 63C/145F (you will need a meat thermometer to check and control the temperature). Transfer the breasts to the fridge and leave to chill (you can freeze the breasts once they are cool to make them easier to slice).
6. For the duck scratching, preheat the oven to 140C/275F/Gas 1. Lay the skin out over a cooling wire and bake for 40 minutes until golden-brown and crisp. Scatter over sea salt, to taste, and set aside.
7. For the duck tongues, place the duck tongues in a pan with duck fat to cover. Cook for two hours, maintaining a temperature of 110C/230F until soft - use a thermometer to keep checking the temperature.
8. Remove the plate in the tongue and peel off the outer membrane. Pick the meat from the tongues and cool. Set aside.
9. For the bee pollen and avocado frozen mousse, place all the ingredients into a Frix Air machine and churn. Transfer to a suitable container to freeze until solid; then re-churn in the Frix Air machine. Return to the freezer.
10. For the tobacco rhubarb, warm the sugar syrup and add the cigar to infuse for three hours. (CAUTION: Tobacco is a carcinogen. If you prefer not to include tobacco in this dish, skip this step.)
11. Peel the rhubarb. Lay two sheets of cling film out on a clean surface and place the rhubarb sticks on top. Pour over the tobacco syrup (or uninfused syrup) and wrap tightly to seal.
12. Leave for 30 minutes for the rhubarb to take on the flavour of the tobacco. (If you have not included the tobacco in this dish, skip this step.)
13. For the pickled shallots, place all of the pickled shallot ingredients in a non-reactive pan and bring to the boil. Add the shallots and remove from the heat and leave to cool in the liquor.
14. To serve, slice the cured duck into thin slices and lay on a chopping board. Trim the duck into rectangles and lay the pieces on each of four plates. Arrange a little of the duck scratching, duck tongue, tobacco rhubarb and pickled shallots on top. Churn the bee pollen and avocado frozen mousse one more time and, using two tablespoons, mould the mousse into rugby ball-like shapes (quenelles) and place on top of the duck. Finish with the mizuna shoots, red-veined sorrel, purple shiso, spring onion, peas, grapefruit and a drizzle of oil.