Breast of Duck with Plum Sauce
Easy and delicious -
* See David's notes
Serves 4
Ingredients
4 duck breasts
FOR THE PLUM SAUCE
50g finely chopped red onion
25ml olive or vegetable oil
500g fresh plums, stoned and cut into 6/8 wedges depending on the size *
50g light brown sugar *
50ml port
250ml beef stock
2 sprigs of thyme
1 star anise
Seasoning
Method
Fry the onion in oil for about 5 minutes. Add the plums and sugar and cook for another 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and bring to a simmer. Cook for about 20 minutes* until slightly thickened. Remove the star anise and thyme and keep the sauce warm.
Dry the duck skin with kitchen paper. With a sharp knife, score through the skin
every 2ml. This will help cook the fat and produce a crisp skin. Season well. Heat
an ovenproof frying pan and when hot, place the duck in the pan skin side down. Cook
for about 5 minutes. Turn the breasts over and place the pan in an oven preheated
to 180°C. Cook for 6-
Put the duck on a warm plate and leave to rest for 5 minutes while you refresh your glass of wine. Slice the breasts at an angle into 5mm slices and slide one onto each plate. Spoon a little sauce over each breast and serve the rest separately. Delicious with garlic mashed potatoes and kale.
The perfect dinner party main course or a treat for a special celebration.
David’s notes.
I think the plum sauce wouldl benefit from more plums, I would suggest a total of 500g..
I cooked the plums for 25 min the first time I made this, but I think that 30 to 35 min would be better.
I then pushed the liquid and pulp through a fine sieve, discarding the pulpit that would not go through.
At this point the sauce was somewhat thin, so I reduced it by about half, about 20 min. I also added a small amount of redcurrant jelly and a little more sugar. I suppose the amount of sugar required will depend on sweetness or lack of, of the plums.