Roast Duck w Redcurrant Sauce & Rosemary Potatoes

Preparation

• 1
  First make the sauce. Peel and chop half of a shallot very finely indeed. Melt a knob of butter in a small saucepan and gently sauté the shallot for 5 minutes until soft. Add the brown sugar, the grape juice and the vinegar and stir together. Add the redcurrants, removed from the stalks, a sprig of rosemary and 3 large pieces of zest cut from an orange.Bring up to a simmer and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the berries have softened and the sauce has become thick. Turn off the heat and remove the rosemary and the orange zest.
• 2
  Next make the rosemary potatoes. Preheat the oven to 200 degrees, 180 degrees fan oven. Cut the potatoes in half, or any larger ones into quarters, and parboil for 4-5 minutes. At the same time, place the olive oil in a roasting tin to warm in the oven. Drain the potatoes and toss in the hot oil in the tin. Pull the leaves from the rosemary, finely chop them and sprinkle over the potatoes. Season with salt and pepper and roast on a high shelf in the oven for about 25 minutes, turning once.
• 3
  When the potatoes are in the oven, begin to prepare the duck. With a sharp knife, cut several diagonal slashes in the skin of the duck breasts and season well with salt and pepper. Heat a small frying pan and cook the duck breasts in the dry pan on a fairly high heat, skin side down, for 6-7 minutes, or until the skin has crisped. Turn them over and cook for a few minutes on the other side.Place them, skin side up, on a small oven tray and put them in the oven to bake whilst the potatoes are finishing roasting. To serve the duck pink, this will take about 10 minutes, depending on the size of the duck breasts. If, like me, you prefer it well done, cook it for a further 5 minutes or so.
• 4
  When the potatoes and duck are ready to serve, gently warm the sauce, without boiling, and stir in a small piece of butter before serving.This meal is lovely accompanied by green beans or other fresh green vegetables
• 5
  simply steam them for a few minutes before serving.