Roasted duck in red wine sauce recipe

This rich duck breast recipe is a simple yet stylish main course that's ideal for entertaining. The duck breasts are seared and then roasted so the skin gets crispy while the meat stays tender. The fruity red wine sauce is the perfect accompaniment, requires minimal effort, and only uses half a bottle so you can serve the rest of the wine while eating. A cast iron frying pan works well for this dish, otherwise start the recipe with a frying pan and transfer the duck to an baking dish to finish off in the oven

Ingredients

For the red wine sauce:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• 400ml red wine
• 200ml chicken stock
• 1 bay leaf

For the duck:

• 4 duck breasts, skin on

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas Mark 4.
2. For the red wine sauce: heat the oil in a saucepan and fry the shallots for a few minutes until soft. Add the wine, stock and bay leaf, bring to the boil then reduce to simmer for 40 minutes, or until the liquid has reduced by two thirds. Discard the bay leaf.
3. For the duck: use a sharp knife to score the skin of the duck breasts and season well with salt and pepper. Put the duck breasts skin-side down onto an ovenproof frying pan over a medium heat for three to four minutes. Transfer to the oven and cook for a further 5-6 minutes for medium rare or 8-10 minutes for well done meat.
4. Remove the duck from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes. Serve with the red wine sauce.