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People often think of duck paired with red cabbage or cherries, and good though that is, it also works

beautifully with apple. This simple dish would grace any autumn table and can be dressed up or down

to suit a dinner party or informal supper.

4 Loose Birds free range duck breasts

1 tbsp duck fat or butter

2 firm apples

1 lemon

Sea salt to season

1 tbsp brown sugar or maple sugar

Pinch of cayenne pepper

120ml Ampleforth Abbey cider

2 tbsp finely chopped mint

Coarse sea salt

1. Salt the duck breasts and bring them to room temperature for about 30 minutes. Squeeze the

lemon juice into a bowl of water. Slice the apples into quarter moons about

peel them. Drop the slices into the lemon juice and making sure they’re properly coated.

2. Heat a large sauté pan over a high heat, add the duck fat or butter and swirl to coat the pan.

Place the duck breasts skin side down, and cook on a medium heat for 5-8 minutes until

golden brown. Turn over and cook for another 2-4 minutes depending on whether you want it

pink or not, then remove and rest covered loosely with foil.

3. Spoon off all but 3 tablespoons of fat. Cook the apples over a medium high heat but don’t

crowd them. Brown the apples on one side then flip them over. At this point add the brown

sugar and swirl to coat, continuing to cook for 1-2 minutes.

4. Pour in the cider and whack up the heat. Sprinkle in a pinch of salt and cayenne and boil hard

until it cooks down by two-thirds. Slice the duck breast into pieces roughly the same width as

the apples. Plate up by making a rosette of alternating duck and apple slices in the centre of

the plate. Spoon a small amount of the reduced cider on each piece of duck then one more

spoonful in the centre. Sprinkle with the fresh mint and the coarse salt.