Slow roast duck with port and cherry sauce
Originally the cherries for this classic French recipe would have to be fresh, so the time of year you could make this was restricted. Now you can use frozen ones if needed.
Ingredients
For the cherry sauce
- 1 tbsp sunflower oil or duck fat
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 150ml/5fl oz port
- 150ml/5fl oz red wine
- 300ml/10fl oz chicken stock
- 2 tbsp redcurrant jelly
- 1½ tsp balsamic vinegar
- 2½ tbsp cornflour
- 200g/7oz frozen pitted cherries
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
Preheat the oven to 220C/200 Fan/Gas 7
Sit the duck, breast-side up on a wire rack in a roasting tin. Rub the skin with oil and season the skin with salt. Roast for about 30 minutes, or until golden-brown.
Reduce the oven temperature to 160C/140 Fan/Gas 3 and slow roast for 2½ hours, basting from time to time. The duck should be tender in the wings and the legs should be easily pulled away from the body.
Drain the fat from the bottom of the tin. Increase the heat back to 220C/200 Fan/Gas 7 and cook the duck for 20–30 minutes, or until golden-brown and the skin is crisp. Rest for 15 minutes before carving.
To make the cherry sauce, heat the oil or duck fat in a saucepan and fry the shallots over a high heat until lightly golden-brown. Add the port, wine and stock and cook until the volume of liquid has reduced by a third. Add jelly and vinegar.
Strain and discard the shallots. Put the cornflour in a small bowl and mix with a dash of water until smooth. Add a little of the hot liquid to the bowl and return to the saucepan, then add the cherries and carefully bring to the boil, stirring. Season with salt and pepper and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon.
Carve the duck – it will be very tender, but not pink. Serve with the cherry sauce.
Recipe Tips
The sauce can be made up to a day ahead and reheated. Duck can be roasted eight hours ahead if serving cold.
