Duck Cherry Garcia

publication date: Jul 11, 2008

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author/source: Guy Millon

A brilliantly wacky riff on the traditional combination of duck and cherries using Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice-cream from one of our new student contributors, Guy Millon. (With artistic pic by his girlfriend Claire O'Reilly). A great show-off dinner party dish.

Serves 4
Time: 20-25 minutes
Cost: about £4 a head

4 Gressingham or Barbary duck breasts
2 shallots, peeled and finely chopped
1 tbsp (15g) butter
2 tbsp raspberry vinegar
1 tbsp sugar
1/3 bottle of fruity New World red wine such as Californian Merlot
100 ml chicken stock
Half a packet of frozen mixed berries
1 good scoop Ben & Jerry's Cherry Garcia ice cream
Salt and pepper

Pre-heat the oven to 220° C. First make the sauce. Gently sauté the shallots in the butter for 10 minutes or so until soft but not coloured. Add the vinegar and sugar and simmer for a few minutes, then add the wine and stock. Bring to the boil, then reduce by a half. Add the frozen mixed berries and the Cherry Garcia ice cream and cook for a further 10 minutes or so (sufficient to allow the chocolate bits to melt!). Check seasoning and keep warm.

Now cook the duck breasts. Season with salt and pepper. In an ovenproof skillet (frying pan), add a drop of olive oil and smear it all over the surface. Put on the hob over a high flame and when almost smoking, add the seasoned duck breasts skin side down. Cook over this brisk heat to crisp and brown the skin, about 5 minutes. Turn over, then immediately transfer to the pre-heated oven. Roast for 10 minutes (or slightly longer if you like it less rare), remove and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice the duck on the slant, arrange on a plate, and spoon over the Cherry Garcia sauce.

You can now see Guy and Claire's step-by-step video of the recipe on the new Beyond Baked Beans page on Facebook