Duck Breast With Cherries And Mint

Directions

1. 1 Preheat oven to 200c/400f/Gas 6. Season the skin of the duck breasts with salt and pepper, and the cut sides with pepper only. Prick the skins all over with a fork.
2. 2 Heat a frying pan just big sufficient to take the breasts in a single layer over a gentle heat and lay skin-side down. As the fat begins to run, raise the heat so they fry briskly in the fat.
3. 3 When browned underneath, put the breasts skin-side up on a rack in a roasting tin and into the oven for nine min to keep pink.
4. 4 Cook for 10-12 min if you prefer them well done (no longer or possibly the flesh will toughen). Remove and rest for 5-10 min before serving.
5. 5 Pour the fat from the frying pan and add in the wine. Boil, stirring and scraping in the juices and brown bits from frying the duck breasts.
6. 6 Let the wine boil till reduced to a thin glaze over the base of the pan.
7. Add in the stock and boil hard again till reduced by half. Add in the redcurrant jelly and stir in till dissolved.
8. 7 Add in the cherries, salt and pepper and simmer for a few min for a syrupy sauce. Stir in the shredded mint.
9. 8 Slice each duck breast and fan out on a plate. Spoon over the sauce, garnish with a sprig of mint and serve.