Fancy a little romance this weekend? This impressive dish is the perfect romantic meal for two and is ready in just 30 mins – which gives you plenty of time to spend together
Ingredients
- 2 duck breasts
- 4 shallots
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 punnet blackberries
- 1 glass red wine
- 1 tsp sugar
- 2 sprigs thyme
- 1 shot glass of port wine (optional)
- 400ml beef stock
- 50g butter
- 1 Bay leaf
- 1tsp cornflour, dissolved into a little hot water
Method
Finely slice the shallots and garlic, add to a saucepan with a knob of butter and gently sweat off until softened. Add the thyme and the sugar, allow the sugar to cook and caramelise for 1 minute. Pour in the red wine and the port and reduce down by ¾ .
Now add 2/3 of the punnet of blackberries, bay leaf and beef stock, gently reduce this down by 2/3. Pour through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan, season with salt and pepper. Cut the remaining blackberries in half and add them to the sauce. Finish with a knob of butter and thicken, if desired, with the cornflour.
Pre-heat the oven to 180C/160C fan/gas mark 6. Heat a dry frying pan and place the duck breast fat side down into the pan over a moderate heat and fry for a couple of minutes. Turn the breasts over and season the fat with a little salt, place in the oven and cook for 10 minutes.
Whilst cooking, prepare your vegetables and finish off your mash. Remove the duck breasts from the oven; allow them to rest for at least two-three minutes. Slice the duck breast, serve with the vegetables and drizzle over the rich smooth blackberry sauce.
Top tip for making Ed Baines’ duck breast with blackberry sauce
Duck goes well with various different fruit sauces - why not try this recipe with a pear or cherry sauce?
