Duck breast with roasted apples and red wine sauce

Ingredients for 2 servings:

• 2 duck breasts, 300 g each (or one large duck breast, approx. 600 g)
• 2 slice(s) of breakfast bacon or 3 slices)
• 2 large apples (Boskoop)
• some butter
• some rosemary, chopped, dried is also fine
• 1 shallot(s)
• 1 jar red wine, well filled, e.g. Merlot, which is fruity and strong
• 200 ml veal stock
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1 tbsp white wine vinegar
• some butter
• Cayenne pepper
• salt and pepper
• Rosemary, ground

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 35 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

a recipe from Normandy; suitable for food combining

Preheat the oven to 160°C fan/convection oven. Trim the excess fat from the edges of the duck breast and remove any remaining quills with tweezers. Score the fatty side of the duck in a diamond shape. Be careful not to cut into the meat, as this will dry out quickly. Peel the apples and cut them into large wedges. Heat a little butter or 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan. Peel the shallot, finely dice it, and sauté it. Once it has browned, deglaze with red wine. Simmer for 5 minutes over high heat, then add the veal stock. Continue simmering. Heat the sugar and vinegar in a small saucepan and caramelize the sugar. Then add this to the sauce and continue simmering. Just before serving, season with a little ground rosemary, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Render the trimmed duck fat in an ovenproof pan, remove it, and sear the duck breast on the meat side for 2-3 minutes. Then turn it over (the pan will be hotter than the oven, so the fat side will be crispy and the meat side won’t be too dry) and place the duck breast in the hot oven for 14 minutes. Then turn the duck breast over, fat side up, and roast at 200°C for another 5 minutes. Then place the duck breasts on a cutting board and let them rest until the apples are done. When the duck is turned in the oven, fry the apple slices in a little melted butter on each side for about 5 minutes. They will then be cooked through, won’t fall apart, and will be nicely browned. Sprinkle the apple slices with rosemary and add the bacon strips. After resting, slice the duck breast diagonally and serve with apple slices and red wine sauce. A dish without a “filling side dish,” and I think nothing is missing here. If you still want a side dish, fried polenta goes well with it.