Duck breast NT in port wine – orange jus with leek herb dumplings

Ingredients for 3 servings:

• 2 duck breasts, 300 to 350 g each
• 200 g cranberries, dried, soaked in port wine the day before
• 150 ml freshly squeezed orange juice
• possibly balsamic vinegar
• 100 ml port wine
• 50 ml red wine (e.g. Syrah)
• 90 g sugar, brown
• 1 star anise
• 1 stalk(s) cinnamon
• 150 ml chicken stock (or more, depending on the size of the roasting pan)
• 2 tbsp jam (orange marmalade, bitter)
• 1 onion(s)
• Salt and pepper, from the mill
• some marjoram, dried
• some stalks of mugwort, dried
• 3 m.-sized rolls
• 140 ml milk
• 50g bacon
• 1 onion(s)
• 1 pinch of nutmeg
• 1 handful of herbs, finely chopped to taste (e.g. parsley, lovage, thyme)
• 1 stalk(s) leek (small)
• 1 egg(s)
• 1 tbsp butter

Instructions

Working time approx. 45 minutes; Rest time approx. 15 hours; Total time approx. 15 hours 45 minutes

buttery soft!

Wash the duck breasts, pat dry, and trim them. Score the fat crosswise, taking care not to damage the meat. Rub with salt, pepper, and marjoram. Heat a pan and fry slowly on the fat side over medium heat (10 minutes); the fat side will turn golden brown. Fry the other side for 6 minutes. Place the prepared cranberries and port wine in a roasting pan and place the duck breasts on top. In the pan, sauté the onions in the rendered duck fat and deglaze with the port wine and red wine. Reduce the heat. Stir in the orange marmalade until it has mostly dissolved. Add the chicken stock. Caramelize the brown sugar in a sauté pan. Deglaze with orange juice; if you like, add a few dashes of balsamic vinegar. Let it foam briefly and then pour it around the duck breasts in the roasting pan. Add the star anise and cinnamon stick and a few sprigs of mugwort. Add a little salt to the duck breasts and sprinkle with marjoram, if desired. Place the roasting pan in the oven preheated to a maximum of 80°C (176°F) and cook for 90 to 120 minutes. Heat to 100°C (212°F) for the last five minutes. In my experience, they take a good 120 minutes, but longer wouldn’t hurt, so it’s a stress-free preparation. Three-quarters of an hour before the end of the cooking time, prepare the dumplings: Thinly slice three bread rolls and place them in a tightly lidded bowl. Bring the milk to a boil and pour over the bread rolls, cover the bowl tightly, and let the rolls soak for 15 minutes. Clean and finely chop the onion and leek, and finely dice the bacon. Sauté in a pan with 1 tablespoon of butter, and after 15 minutes, add to the bread mixture. Mix everything well (!) with your hands or with a fork; it should form a homogenous mixture. Mix in the herbs and egg, season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg (you may need to season the mixture before adding the egg). Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Be careful not to let it boil! Form the mixture into small(!) dumplings, dipping your hands in cold water periodically. Let the dumplings simmer in the hot water for 10 to 15 minutes until tender. Remove with a ladle and keep warm, if desired. Slice the duck breast and serve with the jus and dumplings. Brussels sprouts are a great accompaniment. Wine recommendation: A Syrah goes very well, especially when it’s already in the sauce. The aromas of the wine (herbs, pepper, licorice) harmonize beautifully with the anise and herbs in the sauce, and the acidity complements the fruity notes well.