Duck Breast with crushed potatoes, asparagus and spiced sauce

Method

To cook the potatoes

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C.
2. Peel and cut the potatoes into even sized pieces, put into a saucepan, with plenty of cold salted water, bring to the boil and allow to simmer until tender. Do not overcook. Drain the potatoes.
3. Place the potatoes back into the pan in which they were cooked and add the Duck Fat and the salt and pepper.
4. Cover with the lid on and give them a vigorous shake to rough up the edges and coat them with the Duck Fat.
5. Place potatoes in a roasting tray with the garlic cloves in a single layer and roast in the oven for approximately 40 minutes or until golden and crunchy.
6. Season with salt and pepper and mix with oregano.

To make the sauce

7. Meanwhile in a saucepan, heat the olive oil. Add the shallot, spices and bay leaf, cook until the shallots are translucent and are soft in texture.
8. Deglaze the pan with the vinegar, add the sugar and reduce, cooking until a light caramel colour.
9. Add the Grand Mariner and orange juice and reduce by two thirds, or until it resembles a syrup. Add the Duck Stock and reduce the sauce by two thirds.
10. Pass through a fine sieve, discarding the shallots and spices, and pour the sauce back into the saucepan. Set aside until needed.

To cook the Duck

11. Score the skin of the duck breast by making shallow cuts and season both sides of the breast with salt and pepper.
12. Place duck breast in medium warm pan skin-side down and cook until brown and crispy, 4-5 minutes. Rest for 5 minutes.

To Plate

13. Steam the Asparagus
14. Return the sauce to heat, whisk the butter and check the seasoning.
15. Cut the Duck Breast into slices and serve with the sauce and crushed potatoes and asparagus.