This dish is a celebration of winter, a big, warm hug on a plate. I love cooking seasonally. I also recently spent time in Italy. That experience with Italian cuisine, with its rustic charm and soulful simplicity, has definitely left its mark!

This dish brings together ingredients and techniques I’ve leaned on throughout my career. But it’s also uniquely Cupitt’s. The duck is slow-braised with Cupitt’s red wine until it’s rich and tender, then served with hand-rolled ricotta gnocchi, a process I’ve repeated more than 100,000 times. We finish it with house-made sourdough breadcrumbs, toasted with garlic and thyme from our garden, a nod to traditional Italian cooking where nothing is wasted and every detail matters. It connects what we grow and make here to what lands on the plate. That kind of authenticity really matters to me. Plus it's always great to create food that works so beautifully with our wine. Topped with aged pecorino, this is hearty, honest food made with time, care, and quality produce; the kind of dish that brings people together. 

More than anything, I cook for people’s enjoyment. I want you to feel like you’ve treated yourself, like you've tasted something made with heart. And really, that's what Italian food does best: it brings joy. It's generous, soulful, and made to be shared.

Jonathon Pryor, Executive Chef, Cupitt’s Estate