This is a really simple dish using some fantastic produce; the fruit with the duck works really well and helps cut through the richness of the meat. You finish this dish feeling really satisfied, it’s a real favourite of mine with flavours that just work.

Ingredients | Serves 6

• 6 duck breasts
• 100g clear honey
• Salt and pepper
  
  

For the duck sauce

• 50ml port
• Duck juices
• 500ml game stock (page 123)
• ½ lemon
  
  

For the garnish

• 3 peaches
• ½ bunch of lemon thyme
• 6 small pak choi
• butter
• olive oil
  
  

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Start by cooking off the duck breasts. I like to serve my duck pink, this way it will stay tender, juicy and full of flavour. Start by placing a large deep frying pan over a medium heat. Take your duck breasts and season both sides with sea salt and pepper, then place the breast skin side down into the dry pan whilst it’s still cold (no oil is needed as the fat will render out of the duck as it heats up). Cook gently for approximately 6 minutes, the fat will render out of the skin and the skin will begin to crisp. Spoon out any fat from the pan and turn over each breast and cook for a further ?4 minutes, then squeeze the honey over the skin of the breasts, flip them over so the skin side is back down and caramelise for 1 minute. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and rest for?10 minutes on a tray, this will relax the meat leaving you with a perfectly cooked, juicy piece of meat.

Once the duck has been removed tip away the excess fat then place the pan back on the heat and turn it to high, add the port straight away and using a wooden spoon, scrape all the bits off the pan. Reduce the port by half then add the game stock, bring to a simmer, add a squeeze of lemon juice and pass through a fine sieve into a jug.

Take a sharp knife and run it through the middle of the peaches, when you hit the stone run the knife around it then pull the peaches carefully in half and remove each stone. Drizzle some olive oil over a roasting tray then with some paper towels rub the oil evenly over the tray. Pick the lemon thyme leaves, sprinkle into the tray then season with sea salt and pepper. Place each peach half into the tray flesh side down, then put the tray into a preheated oven at 180°c and roast for approximately 10 minutes.

Trim off the bottom of each pak choi then slice them in half from top to bottom. Place a large frying pan on the stove over a medium heat and add a knob off butter and a tablespoon of olive oil. Add the pak choi flat side down and cook for 2 minutes, turn over, season with sea salt and pepper and cook for a further minute. Once cooked, remove from the pan and place on a tray with a paper towel to soak up any excess moisture.

To serve

Cut each duck breast in half lengthways to expose the pink flesh, then season the flesh with some sea salt. Place onto the plate, garnish with two pieces of pak choi and half a peach, drizzle over the sauce and serve.

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