Preparation:
To make the marinade, place the brown sugar in a pan and add the butter, water, honey, maple syrup and brown treacle. Let it all simmer away until the sugars have melted. This should take 10 minutes.
When the mixture has come to a rolling boil, add the port, take the pan off the heat and allow to cool.
Place the duck breasts in the marinade when cool and leave to stand for 30 minutes.
In another pan, melt the butter then add the shallots, dates (which have been marinated in port and chicken), water, raspberry vinegar and a dash of creme de framboise. All this should simmer, but while this is happening, use a ladle to skim off any impurities from the edges. In a separate pan, add the cream and let it simmer until it reduces by half.
To make the salad, peel 2 oranges and cut away the pith. Cut out the segments, and place in a bowl with any excess juices. Chop half a red onion into fine pieces and place into the bowl with the orange segments. Add the water cress leaves and chopped chives.
Dribble some extra virgin olive oil and black pepper over the salad and toss together.
Wipe the marinade from the duck breasts after they have marinated for 30 minutes and place in a pan, skin side down for 8 minutes on each side.
Pour the date sauce and a little cream into a liquidizer and blitz together. Add the rest of the cream and blitz again. Stir the sauce with a wooden spoon and then pour the sauce into a saucepan, season with salt and pepper and add a touch of orange sauce from the salad for flavour.
Serve the duck breast thinly sliced with the salad and sauce. |
