Valentine’s Day is creeping up again, which means it’s the perfect excuse to cook something that feels a little bit special. This pan-fried duck breast with blackcurrant & port sauce is ideal for that: impressive, indulgent, and surprisingly simple to pull off at home.
You’ll get beautifully crisp, golden skin and tender duck with a lovely pink centre, finished with a glossy blackcurrant and port sauce that’s sweet, sharp and rich in all the right ways. Serve it with buttery mash and seasonal greens, pour a glass of something nice, and you’ve got a dinner that feels properly romantic, without spending the whole evening stuck in the kitchen.
Pan-fried Duck Breast with Blackcurrant & Port Sauce
Helen Upshall
2
10 minutes
25 minutes
This pan-fried duck breast with blackcurrant and port sauce is an easy yet impressive dinner for two. With crispy duck skin, tender pink meat, and a rich fruity sauce made from blackcurrant preserve, port and red wine vinegar, it’s perfect for a special occasion, or just when you're feeling a bit fancy.
Ingredients
For the sauce
- 75ml good-quality port
- 2 tbsp red wine vinegar
- 115g Blackcurrant Preserve
- 1 tsp caster sugar
- 1 tbsp salted butter
For the duck
- 2 duck breast, with skin
- Sea salt & cracked black pepper
To serve
- Mashed potatoes
- Seasonal green veg
Directions
Start by making the sauce. Place the port, vinegar, sugar, and 100g blackcurrant preserve in a heavy-bottomed saucepan and bring to a simmer over a medium heat. Stirring regularly, allow the sauce to reduce for 5 - 8 minutes until the sauce has thickened and coats the back of the spoon.
Remove the sauce from the heat and add the remaining preserve (1 tablespoon) and the butter, stirring to melt. Set aside until ready to serve.
Using a sharp knife, score the fat of the duck breasts. Ensure you cut all the way through the fat but not into the duck meat itself. Place the breasts fat side down in a cold frying pan and place over a medium heat.
Season the duck breast with salt and pepper and allow to gently cook, fat side down, for 8 - 10 minutes until the fat is golden and starts to render down. Flip the breast and cook for a further 5 - 6 minutes meat-side down or until desired cook is achieved - these times will give you a nice pink finish to the meat but cook longer if you prefer more ‘well done’.
Once your desired cook is achieved on the meat, remove from the heat and allow to rest for 5 minutes.
Add your mashed potatoes and seasonal veg to your serving plates before adding the rested duck breast. Finish the dish with a generous spoon of the prepared sauce, serving any remaining sauce on the side in a ramekin for dipping.
