Duck Breast with Oamaru Cherry Reduction
- Preparation Time: 5 mins
- Serves: 4
- Cooking Time: 30 mins
- Ready Time: 35 mins
- Difficulty: Easy
1 packet Gourmet Direct twin Duck Breasts
1 packet Oamaru Freeze Dried Cherries
150mls Verjuice
1 Tbsp soft Brown Sugar
Sea Salt and a little lemon juice
Defrost the Duck breast overnight in the fridge and pat dry with paper towels. Run a sharp knife between the two breasts to separate them and trim any excess skin from around the flesh. Leave a little skin overlap because it will shrink slightly in cooking. Score the skin side of the meat and rub with sea salt. Squeeze a little lemon juice over each.
Leave to stand for a few minutes.
Place the Cherries in a pot with the Verjuice and the brown sugar. Heat to reduce the liquid and hydrate the cherries. Stir occasionally. Taste and adjust the tartness to suit you. This process takes a wee while (maybe half an hour) until you have a lovely syrup with the rehydrated cherries.
Heat a heavy base pan to hot. Drop the duck in skin side down and cook for 4 minutes. Reduce the heat to medium and turn the duck. Cook for a further 4 minutes for medium rare – less if you like duck rare and more if you prefer it well done. The touch test works as well for Duck Breast as it does for beef steak. Allow the duck to rest off the heat for 5 minutes.
Serve one Duck breast per person with the Cherry reduction over the top.