Duck, cranberry and orange filo cups

These delicious little morsels are perfect with a drink, fill them at the last possible moment to keep the pastry crisp. You can prepare the pastry cups up to 48 hours in advance and keep them in an airtight tin until you are ready to fill them.



Method:

• Pre-heat your oven to 190°c.

• Cut the filo pastry into 5 cm squares, you do not have to be accurate and it doesn’t matter if they are irregular.
• Set out 12 squares on a cutting board, brush or spray them with oil or melted margarine and place another square, placing it on top rotated at 90 degrees to make a star shape; then brush or spray again.
• Push each of the pastry ‘stars’ into a 24-cup mini muffin tin with the end of a rolling pin or the bottom of a narrow spice jar to form a cup shape.
• Repeat to fill the tin.
• Bake for 8-12 minutes until the cups are crisp and golden.
• While the cups are baking heat the tablespoon of oil in a frying pan and sear the duck on both sides.
• When the pastry cups are cooked, set them aside to cool.
• Place the duck on a high sided baking tray or roasting tin for around 12-15 minutes depending on size. You want it medium rare – a little pink in the middle.
• Allow the duck breast to cool before cutting into the thinnest slices you can.
• To assemble, place a small amount of cranberry sauce in the bottom of each cup, top with a sliver of duck and garnish with orange zest and garnish with snipped chives.


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