Caramelised Breast of Gressingham Duck with Honey, Lime and Ginger Sauce

Serves 4

• 4 Gressingham Duck breasts
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 level teaspoons of sugar
• 2 limes
• 25g fresh root ginger peeled and cut into fine dice (reserve the peel)
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 25g unsalted butter
• 3 tablespoons clear honey
• 175ml dry white wine
• 225ml good brown stock or duck stock if available.

Preheat oven to 230°C/450°F/gas mark 8.

Score duck skin to the full depth of the fat making 12 incisions across each breast. Rub pepper and sugar into skin and lightly salt meat side.

With a potato peeler, pare the zest of the 2 limes very thinly so there is no pith on the back of the strips. Cut into matchstick size strips. Blanch in boiling water for 15 seconds, refresh in cold water and drain. Peel the limes with a knife, removing all the pith. Save any juice. Cut into neat segments discarding any pith or membrane.

Heat oil in a large heavy frying pan, add butter and when sizzling cook duck breasts meat side down in pan for 1 minute. Turn breasts over and brush with half the honey. Place frying pan in oven for 7 minutes. Remove breasts and keep warm.

Pour all but a tablespoon of fat from the frying pan saving any meat juices and return to a high heat. Add wine, reserved lime juice and remaining honey and boil until liquid has reduced by half. Add stock and ginger peelings, bring back to the boil. Allow to simmer until sauce starts to thicken to coating consistency.

Reheat breasts in oven for 1 minute. Strain sauce through a fine sieve or muslin into another saucepan adding half of the lime zest and all of the diced ginger. Simmer for 1 minute.

Spoon some sauce and garnish onto each plate. Slice each breast into 6 or 8 slices, arrange on top of sauce. Top meat with lime segments and remainder of sauce and sprinkle with remaining zest. Serve with red cabbage.