Ed Baines' duck breast with blackberry sauce recipe

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

1. 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 .
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. 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.