Duck breast in plum sauce

Equipment:-

• A griddle or frying pan
• 2 pots
• Chopping board
• Colander
• A sharp knife
• A small baking dish

INGREDIENTS

• Duck Breasts
• 2 Duck Breasts with skin scored several times
• 2 tsp of dry thyme or 4 sprigs of fresh
• 1 star anise
• 25g of butter
• Salt and pepper

Plum Sauce

• 4 dark red plums de stoned and cut into wedges
• 300ml of beef stock
• 50ml of red wine
• 2 garlic cloves finely diced
• 3 tbsp of Demerara sugar
• 1 large shallot diced finely
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• Salt and pepper

METHOD

• Heat 1 tsbp of oil in a pan and fry the shallots for 3-4 mins
• Add the garlic and fry for 1 min
• Add the plums and sugar and fry until the sugar has dissolved
• Add the red wine and stock
• Simmer for 15 mins stirring occasionally until it has thickened
• Leave to cool to room temperature
• Heat oven to 180C or Gas mark 4
• Heat Griddle pan to medium/high
• Season duck breast and place on griddle pan skin side down
• Leave to cook for 5 mins
• Then turn the duck and add the butter, thyme and star anise
• Once butter has melted baste the duck a couple of times
• Transfer to a baking dish and put in the oven for 5-6 mins for medium rare
• Remove from oven and let rest on chopping board for 5 mins
• Heat some of the plum sauce and in the mean time slice the duck in thin slices
• Serve up and drizzle some of the butter and thyme sauce over duck
• Add 3 - 4 tbsp of the plum sauce