Episode 2.1 Roast Duck with Cherry Sauce

After our trip to France last year, my fear of cooking duck has dissipated. Before venturing to the Dordogne, I had never cooked duck - yet always ordered it when out. I had something in my head that suggested duck was difficult to perfect.
How wrong was I!

The second series of YouTube videos will be focusing on some of the cooking challenges, and what better way to start than with duck? (and it's even naturally gluten free!)

Duck needs care. Always pat the duck dry with paper towels. This leads to crispier skin. If you are using duck breast, score the skin in a diamond pattern just through the fat and not into the meat. This allows the fat to render - giving a perfect crispness to the skin, but also giving you duck fat to cook the best roast potatoes ever! Always salt the duck prior to cooking.

For best results, allow the meat to come to room temperature before cooking. This way you have greater control over the temperature of the meat. This ensures you don't overcook and dry out your duck pieces.

Remember not to throw away your rendered duck fat either. Place it in a sealed container and store in the fridge for next time you are roasting potatoes.

Here is the link to Episode 2.1 on YouTube

Ingredients

• 2 duck legs

• 2 baking potatoes 

• Few sprigs fresh thyme

• Sea salt flakes and pepper

Sauce

• 200 ml port

• 200 ml chicken stock

• Few sprigs of thyme

• 100 g de-pipped black cherries

• 20 g cold butter, cut into cubes

• 1 tsp cornflour mixed with 1 tbl cold water (optional)

• Salt & pepper

salt & pepper

Preheat the oven to 200°C fan/220°C.

Sprinkle salt over the skin of the duck. Heat a small frypan and sear the duck legs skin-side down until the skin turns golden and renders out some fat.

Place the legs, skin side up in a small roasting dish.

Cut the potatoes into 2cm slices across, then cut each slice into 4. Arrange these potato pieces around the duck legs, then let a few sprigs of thyme fall over the duck and potatoes, and season with salt and pepper before putting into the preheated oven.

Cook for 1.5 hours, occasionally turning the potatoes.
With fifteen minutes of cooking time left to go, and using the same frypan that you cooked the duck in, drain off any excess fat and deglaze with port, taking care to stand back as the pan may flame.
Add the cherries, thyme and chicken stock and bring to a boil.
Lower the heat to simmering point and allow the sauce to bubble away until the mixture is reduced by about half.
Add the cold butter and shake the pan until the butter has melted and the sauce has thickened slightly.

If the sauce has not thickened enough pour in the cornflour slurry whilst constantly stirring.

edited February 2023