Duck breast with blackberry sauce

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 duck breasts, each approx. 300 to 350g
• 1 bunch of soup vegetables
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp sherry
• 350 ml stock (duck stock)
• 50 ml liqueur (blackberry liqueur)
• Pepper, from the mill
• 2 tbsp butter, ice cold, cut into cubes

Instructions

Working time approx. 15 minutes; Rest time approx. 5 minutes; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 1 hour 5 minutes

pink fried a delight

Preheat the oven to 120°C (top and bottom heat) (convection not recommended). Wash the duck breasts and pat dry. Score the skin in diamond shapes. Brown the duck breasts in a cold pan, skin-side down, for about 5 minutes. Reduce the heat and turn the breasts over. Cook for another 5 minutes. Remove from the pan and place on a plate or in a casserole dish and place in the oven for about 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, reduce the oven to 250°C (top heat) for 5-8 minutes to crisp the skin. For the sauce, set aside all but about 2 tablespoons of the rendered fat (you can use it for another purpose). Heat the rest and brown the finely diced vegetables. Add the tomato paste and honey, then gradually deglaze with the soy sauce, sherry, and duck stock and reduce. Before serving, strain the sauce through a sieve and season with the blackberry liqueur. If desired, you can thicken the sauce with ice-cold butter. Remove the duck breast from the oven and let it rest for a few minutes. Slice diagonally and serve with freshly ground pepper. We served it with chestnut-stuffed potato dumplings and buttered Brussels sprout leaves.