Duck Breast with Gingerbread Sauce

• Start with the sauce ...
• For the sauce, caramelize a thin layer of powdered sugar in a saucepan. Sweat a tablespoon of tomato paste in the caramelized powdered sugar. The powdered sugar clumps, but is not a problem, is then boiled again with about 50 ml of grape juice while stirring constantly.
• Wash the oranges and rub the peel. Release the fillets while collecting the juice.
• Let the whole thing simmer very thickly for about 2 minutes. Top up with the rest of the grape juice. Crumble the two gingerbread cookies and add them to the sauce. Also add the fig jam, the collected orange juice and the inside of the orange. Let simmer for about 5 minutes. Becomes quite plump.
• Pass through a sieve and put the sauce back into the saucepan.
• Fill up with the duck stock and reduce by half over medium heat for about 20 minutes. Hang a spice ball with the juniper, star anise, clove and bay leaf in the sauce and cook with it.
• When the sauce is reduced by half, fill up with the cherry juice and a little of my sauce kick and reduce again to the desired consistency / smoothness.
• Season to taste with chocolate salt, pepper, a pinch of sugar and possibly a little gingerbread spice.
• Cut the skin of the duck breasts with a very sharp knife in a diamond shape.
• Heat a pan and place the duck breasts skin-side down in it. Salt and pepper. Fry on the skin side until the skin is slightly crispy in color. About 6-7 minutes.
• Turn the duck breasts and fry on the meat side for about another 5 minutes.
• Brush the duck skin with the mixed glaze shortly before finishing, then fry the skin again briefly until crispy.
• Heat the sauce again and add a piece of butter to it. The butter gives the sauce a certain bond and a nice shine.
• Homemade red cabbage goes well with red cabbage my way and potato dumplings.

Note

• Sauce production takes a bit of time, but it is definitely worth it. There is a difference in taste whether I reduce it gradually or all at once. Of course, the sauce can also be made very well with a nice red wine, but those who have to do without alcohol will find a good alternative with the cherry and grape juice.