Level up your winter dinner with these sticky duck pancakes, melt-in-your-mouth ribs and rich chocolate mousse

From tender duck pancakes to slow-braised short ribs and indulgent chocolate mousse, Lucy Tweed’s latest cookbook is all about big flavour with minimal fuss.

The food writer and Every Night of the Week founder is back with Tender, a collection of more than 90 warming recipes designed to bring comfort, ease and richness to everyday cooking.

Think bold, modern takes on classics that don’t require fancy equipment, just time, simple ingredients and a willingness to let flavour do the heavy lifting.

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Lady Marmalade Duck Pancakes

Serves 4

Cook time 45 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 boneless duck breasts, skin-on
• salt
• 2 teaspoons Chinese five-spice
• 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 3 cm (1¼ inch) piece of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
• 1 small red chilli, thinly sliced (optional), plus extra to serve if liked
• 2 tablespoons orange marmalade (fine if possible)
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce, plus extra to serve
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• zest and juice of 1 orange
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 8 Chinese pancakes (store-bought or homemade), warmed
• 2 Lebanese (short) cucumbers, deseeded and finely diced
• 3 spring onions (scallions), thinly sliced

Method

1. Lightly season the duck on the meat side (not skin) with salt and five-spice.
2. Place the duck, skin-side down, in a cold heavy-based non-stick pan, then turn the heat to medium. Cook for 8–10 minutes until the fat has rendered and the skin is crisp. Flip and sear the flesh side for 1 minute, then remove and set aside.
3. Pour off most of the duck fat (reserve it for potatoes, obviously), leaving a little in the pan. Add the garlic, ginger and chilli (if using) and sauté briefly for 5 minutes. Stir in the marmalade, hoisin, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, orange zest and juice and bring to a simmer.
4. Return the duck breasts to the pan, skin-side up. Cover and braise gently over low heat for 15 minutes until just cooked through and tender, basting occasionally. Remove the breasts and set aside to rest.
5. Uncover the pan, turn the heat up to medium–high and reduce the sauce slightly until thick and glossy, 5–10 minutes. Add the sesame oil, stir it through, then turn the heat off.
6. Slice the duck breasts, crossways, 5 mm (¼ inch) thick.
7. Heat the pancakes in the microwave or steam as per the packet instructions.
8. In a bowl, toss together the cucumber and spring onion.
9. Serve the sliced duck drizzled with sauce along with pancakes and the cucumber salsa. Add extra chilli, if desired.
10. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Hints

• You can prepare the sauce a day ahead, store in the fridge in an airtight container, then reheat gently before serving. The duck can also be finished in the oven at 180°C (350°F) fan-forced if your pan is ovenproof – just cover for the first 5 minutes, then uncover to reduce.
• Try adding a dash of black vinegar if you want a little extra twang.

Pepper cream shorties & cacio e pepe mash

Serves 4

Cook time 2 3/4–3¼ hours

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg (2 lb 12 oz, about 4 large pieces) bone-in beef short ribs
• salt
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 155 g (1 cup) finely chopped brown onion
• 6 small French shallots, peeled and halved lengthways
• 11/2 tablespoons finely chopped garlic
• 2 teaspoons black peppercorns, cracked in a mortar and pestle or coarsely ground
• 2 teaspoons green peppercorns in brine, drained
• 1 teaspoon mustard powder
• 2 tablespoons plain (all-purpose) flour
• 250 ml (1 cup) dry white wine
• 500 ml (2 cups) beef stock
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon chopped rosemary leaves
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) thickened (heavy) cream, to finish
• Cacio e pepe mash
• 1.2 kg (2 lb 12 oz, about 8 cups) floury potatoes, peeled and chopped
• 80 g (1/3 cup) unsalted butter
• 110 g (11/4 cups) finely grated pecorino
• 60 ml (1/4 cup) thickened (heavy) cream
• 1–2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
• salt
• Optional pickled red onion topping
• 1 small red onion, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 1 teaspoon white (granulated) sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 160°C (325°F) fan-forced.
2. Season the short ribs with salt. Heat the olive oil in a large ovenproof pot over medium–high heat. Brown the ribs on all sides until golden, then set aside.
3. Add the onion and shallot to the pot and cook for 6–8 minutes until softened and just starting to caramelise. Add the garlic, black peppercorns, green peppercorns and mustard powder, stir them through and cook for 1 minute. Sprinkle the flour in and stir through. Add the wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes, stirring and scraping up any sticky bits from the base of the pot. Pour in the beef stock and Worcestershire, then add the bay leaf and rosemary. Return the ribs to the pot, bring to a simmer, cover tightly, then transfer to the oven.
4. Braise for 21/2–3 hours or until the beef is spoon-tender. Uncover for the final 20 minutes to reduce the sauce slightly. Right at the end, add the cream and stir it through.
5. For the cacio e pepe mash, boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and mash or pass through a potato ricer. Fold in the butter, pecorino, cream and pepper. Taste and season with salt.
6. If making the pickled onion, toss the onion with the vinegar, sugar and salt in a bowl. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
7. Serve the mash topped with the short ribs, sauce and pickled onion on the side, if using.
8. Refrigerate in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze for up to 3 months.

Hints

• For a fresh herbal lift, toss chopped celery leaves or flat-leaf parsley through the pickled onion.
• Let the stew rest for 20–30 minutes before serving – it only gets better.
• If making the mash ahead, reheat it gently with a splash of milk or extra cream to loosen.

Drunken Cherries & Mousse

Serves 4

Cook Time – 15 minutes + chilling

Ingredients

• 200 g (7 oz) dark chocolate (70% cocoa), chopped
• 200 ml (7 fl oz) thickened (heavy) cream
• 1 teaspoon vanilla bean paste or extract, plus extra 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 tablespoon icing (confectioners’) sugar, plus an extra 1 teaspoon
• pinch of salt
• 100 g (31/2 oz) crème fraîche
• 4 cocktail cherries, to garnish
• Drunken cherries
• 250 g (9 oz) frozen pitted cherries
• 2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar
• zest of 1/2 orange
• 2 tablespoons kirsch, brandy or cherry liqueur

Method

1. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pot of gently simmering water – making sure the base of the bowl doesn’t touch the water– and stir until smooth. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.
2. For the drunken cherries, place the frozen pitted cherries, caster sugar and orange zest in a small saucepan over medium heat and simmer for 5 minutes until syrupy. Remove from the heat, add the kirsch and stir it through. Set aside to cool, or refrigerate if you prefer them cold. (They can be made 1–2 days prior and stored in the refrigerator until needed.)
3. Using hand-held electric beaters, whip the thickened cream in a bowl with the vanilla, icing sugar and salt to soft peaks. Add the crème fraîche and fold it through. Add the cooled chocolate and gently fold it through until you have a ripple of chocolate and cream – you can completely combine, however undermixing this is fun and beautiful.
4. Spoon 1 tablespoon of the drunken cherries and their syrup into the base of four small glasses or ramekins. Divide the rippled mousse over the top. Refrigerate for 1–2 hours to set. Top each with a cocktail cherry and serve.
5. Store the components in separate airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Hints

• You can use any red-fruit liqueur. Port works too.
• For crunch, just before serving, scatter with toasted flaked almonds, crushed amaretti or cocoa nibs.

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