Ingredients
4 duck breasts
1tbs oil
300ml good red wine
300ml stock
1 1/2 tbs redcurrant jelly
225g cherries, destalked
1 generous tbs shredded mint leaves, plus 4 mint sprigs to garnish
Method
Preheat oven to 180C fan/Gas 6. Season the duck skins with salt and pepper and the other sides with just pepper.
Prick the skins all over with a fork. Heat the oil in a frying pan just big enough to take the breasts in a single layer. Lay the duck skin side down in the pan. As the fat begins to run, increase the heat. When the skin is nicely browned, place the breasts skin side up on a rack in a roasting tin and roast for 8-10 mins for pink meat. Remove the duck from the oven, transfer to a plate and leave to rest for 5-10 mins.
Transfer the roasting tin to the hob and add the wine. Bring to the boil, stirring and scraping all the juices and burnt bits. Boil until reduced to a thin glaze.
Add the stock and return to the boil. Boil hard until reduced to half. Stir in the redcurrant jelly until dissolved. Add the cherries, some salt and ;pepper and simmer for a few minutes more to give a lovely syrupy sauce; the cherries should be bobbing merrily about in it. Stir in the shredded mint.
Slice each duck breast and fan out on a plate. Spoon over the sauce and garnish with a mint sprig. Serve with potatoes.