Peppered duck with vanilla mash, pea & wild mushroom ragout

Ingredients

2		duck breasts
1 tbsp	15 ml	cracked black pepper
85 g		smoked bacon lardons
50 g		wild mushrooms, such as chanterelle or oyster, sliced or torn
2 tbsp	30 ml	Port or marsala
100 g		fresh peas, cooked for 2 mins in boiling water, or frozen peas, defrosted
100 ml		chicken stock
500 g		potatoes (for the vanilla mash)
2 tbsp	30 ml	double cream or crème fraîche
¼		vanilla pod, split open
small knob		butter

Peel the potatoes and cut into chunks. Place them in a pan of cold, salted water and bring to the boil. Turn down the heat and simmer for 10 mins until tender, then drain in a colander. While they are draining, place the pan back on a low heat with the cream and vanilla pod and heat to infuse. Remove vanilla pod and take pan off the heat. Push the potatoes through a ricer back into the pan. Add the butter and seasoning, then beat to form a smooth mash. Set aside.
Season the duck all over with salt and press the pepper into the skin side. Put the duck, skin-side down, in a cold frying pan and place over a low-medium heat. As the pan heats up, the duck will start to cook – you only want a gentle sizzle coming from the pan. If it is cooking too quickly, turn the heat down slightly. Cook for 10 mins, shaking the pan occasionally. When the skin is mahogany and crisp, flip the breasts over and cook on the flesh side for 5 mins more. This will give you duck that is slightly pink in the middle. Transfer the duck to a tray or plate and leave it to rest.
Pour off all but 1 tsp fat from the duck pan, place pan back on the heat and cook the bacon for 3 mins until crisp. Turn up the heat, add the mushrooms and cook for 2 mins more. Splash in the Port, add the peas and stock, then simmer for 2 mins more. Pour any juices from the rested duck into the pan and season to taste.