Gavin and Stacey Christmas special: I made Nessa’s famous curry and it really is ‘immense’

With excitement mounting for the highly anticipated  special, many Brits, like me, have rewatched the hilarious sitcom ahead of tonight’s final episode.

In the second episode of the third series Nessa (Ruth Jones) orders a “Jamdhani Haash” from an Indian restaurant. The curry is introduced while Nessa, Gavin (Matthew Horne) and Stacey (Joanna Page) travel to Gav’s family home in Essex.

Explaining the dish to a perplexed Gavin, Nessa says: “Duck it is, Gav. Cooked in honey, and limes. Immense.”

To my surprise, Jamdhani Haash is not a common Indian takeaway dish, and it appears to have been made up for the show. But Nessa made it sound so delicious that I had to give it a try. And I was not disappointed.

As the show only provides us with three ingredients, my curry was somewhat of an improvisation, but the results were delicious. Follow my below to try it for yourself.

Ingredients (serves two): 

2 duck breasts

2 tbsp honey

1 lime

50ml vegetable oil

1 onion

3 garlic cloves

1 cube crushed ginger

1.5 tsp garam masala

400g chopped tomatoes

¼ tsp chilli powder

½ tsp ground turmeric

½ tsp salt

½ tsp sugar

1 cup boiling water

200ml coconut milk

1 handful fresh coriander

Method:

Preheat the oven to 200C/Fan 180C/Gas Mark 6 and pat the skin of the duck breast with a kitchen towel to remove excess moisture. Score the skin with a sharp knife and season with salt and black pepper (if desired).

Heat the duck skin side down in a frying pan over medium-high heat without oil. Cook for five minutes until the skin turns golden brown. Turn over and seal the meat for one minute. While the duck is cooking, mix honey with the juice of one lime in a bowl.

Place the duck skin side up on a baking tray and cover it in the honey and lime mixture. Place the tray in the middle of the oven and cook for 13-16 minutes.

When the duck is cooked, rest in a warm place for five to 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and cook for six minutes until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for two minutes.

Add the garam masala, chilli powder and ground turmeric to the pan and stir. Then add the salt, sugar, chopped tomatoes, coconut milk and boiling water and stir again. Bring to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer.

Add the duck to the sauce and stir.

Serve the curry garnished with fresh coriander and cooked rice.