Duck Breast with Orange & Port Sauce and Spiced Red Cabbage
A single portion of British cooking, ready in 40 minutes with 10 minutes of prep. Written for one, so there is nothing to halve and nothing to waste.
About 800 kcal and 39 g protein a serving (83 g carbs, 29 g fat). Worked out from the ingredients, so a guide only.
Method
- 1
Put the cabbage, apple, vinegar, sugar, cinnamon and 4 tbsp water in a small pan with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook gently for 25 minutes, stirring now and then, until soft and glossy.
- 2
Boil the potatoes for 15–18 minutes until tender, then drain.
- 3
Meanwhile, score the duck skin in a criss-cross, season well and put it skin-side down in a cold frying pan. Turn the heat to medium and cook for 8–10 minutes until the fat has run and the skin is crisp. Pour most of the fat into a cup, turn the duck and cook for 4–5 minutes more for pink, longer if you like it cooked through. Rest it on a board for 5 minutes.
- 4
Fry the potatoes in 1 tbsp of the saved duck fat in a second pan for 5 minutes, crushing them lightly, until crisp at the edges.
- 5
Pour any remaining fat out of the duck pan, add the port and bubble for 1 minute, then add the orange juice, stock and honey and boil for 3–4 minutes until syrupy. Stir in the butter and half the zest.
- 6
Slice the duck and serve with the potatoes and cabbage, with the sauce spooned over and the rest of the zest on top.
Cook's notes
- Sizes. Vegetables, fruit and eggs are medium unless the recipe says otherwise. A tin is a standard 400g tin.
- Dairy. Salted or unsalted butter both work; with salted, go easy on any extra salt. Use full-fat soured cream, crème fraîche and yoghurt in anything hot, as low-fat versions split.
- Stock. A cube or pot made up as the packet says. Cubes are salty, so taste before adding more salt.
- Heat. Medium means a gentle sizzle, not spitting. High means the oil shimmers before the food goes in. A simmer is a few lazy bubbles, not a rolling boil. Leave the lid off unless the recipe says to cover.
- Pans. A small saucepan is about 16cm and a frying pan about 24cm. Sauces reduce faster in a wider pan, so go by how it looks rather than the clock.
- Doneness. Chicken and turkey should reach 75°C in the thickest part, pork 65 to 70°C, and beef steak 55°C for medium-rare. Rest steaks and chops for a few minutes before slicing.
- Finishing. Taste before serving. Most dishes want a pinch more salt, and a squeeze of lemon or a splash of vinegar lifts anything rich.
- Leftovers. Cool quickly, cover and keep in the fridge for up to 2 days, then reheat until piping hot. Cooked rice keeps for 1 day and should only be reheated once.
solosupper.co.uk/recipes/duck-breast-with-orange-and-port-sauce-and-spiced-red-cabbage/
