If you hadn’t cottoned on yet, I absolutely love duck meat… it really is one of my favourites. My husband taught me how to make classic French magret de canard and this recipe is based on that. It’s an ideal recipe for an intimate Valentine’s night meal and as the prunes need a week’s macerating it’s also only about 15 minutes’ cooking in the oven on the day. This also makes a great Christmas day meal for two.
Prep time 25 minutes/cook time 15 minutes/serves 2 (plus 1 week to macerate the prunes)
Ingredients:
For the macerated prunes
250g (1 ½ cups) sugar
500g (1 lb) prunes (stone in if you can get them)
150ml (3/5 cup) Armagnac
For the duck
1 large or 2 small free-range duck breasts (about 450-500g [1 lb] in total)
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp finely chopped shallot
50ml (1/5 cup) red wine
125ml (1/2 cup) good quality chicken stock
4 macerated prunes (see above), pitted and halved
Lemon juice, to taste
1 tbsp+1 tsp Armagnac
Salt and freshly-ground black pepper, to taste
Bunch of watercress
Method:
At least a week ahead, prepare the prunes. Combine 250ml (1 cup) cold water and the sugar in a pan over a medium heat. When the sugar has dissolved, bring to the boil, simmer for 2 minutes, then remove from the heat and set aside to cool. Transfer the prunes to a large Kilner jar or similar, then add the armagnac and enough cold syrup to cover. Stir and seal with the lid, then set aside in a cupboard for at least a week.
When you’re ready to cook the dish, pre-heat the oven to 160°C (140°C fan/320°F/gas mark 3). Trim the duck of any sinew, then score the fat with a sharp knife in fine, deep lines in a criss-cross pattern, taking care not to cut into the flesh. Season with plenty of salt and freshly-ground black pepper.
Put the duck, breast fat-side down, in a cold ovenproof frying pan, place on the hob and start cooking on a medium heat. Fat will start to render out, then the skin will begin to crisp. Once there’s a visible amount of liquid fat, use it to baste the meat every couple of minutes. Do this for 8-10 minutes, turning down the heat if the fat is getting too dark. Turn the breast over, then transfer the pan to the oven and cook for 8 minutes more for rare (or for slightly longer if you like your duck less pink). Remove from the oven, transfer to a board and leave to rest, uncovered, in a warm place.
Return the pan to the hob, add the butter and melt over a low heat. Add the shallot and cook for 5 minutes or until soft. Add the red wine and in moments it will have reduced to almost nothing. Add the stock and bring to the boil. Turn down to a gentle simmer and add the 4 halved prunes.
Cook the sauce for 10 minutes, then check the seasoning, adding salt and black pepper if needed. If the sauce has become too sweet or cloying, add a few drops of lemon juice. Finally stir in the Armagnac and take off the heat.
Carve the duck into slices and arrange on a warm serving dish. Garnish with the watercress, and a few macerated prunes then spoon over the sauce.
