The recipe called for kumquats and Keith couldn't find them in Tesco, so we googled alternatives and the suggestion was satsumas. We had to slice them in half, mix them with a sugar solution and try and cook them until they were soft. We then peeled the flesh from the skins and used a stick blender to extract as much juice as possible before sieving it. We then mixed this liquid with red wine vinegar, chicken stock, finely chopped shallots and the juice of two oranges. The whole concoction had to be reduced until it was thick and syrupy but we never managed that consistency, although the liquid did reduce substantially! And this was just to make the sauce!
In the afternoon we took Mum to Smith's Farm Shop and managed a cup of tea, two hot chocolates and cake before the café closed at 4pm. After we'd eaten and watched the two teenage staff do as little as possible to clean up (it brought back memories of running the business!), we bought some goodies and returned home.
Sophie wasn't keen on Scrabble tonight, and I think both of us were a little nervous about dinner. The duck breasts had cost £16 so the last thing we wanted to do was ruin the meal, something that could easily happen!
We had prepared a pan of vegetables and were planning roasted new potatoes to go with the duck breasts, so we put those in the oven and opened a bottle of red wine. The first thing we did was sear the duck breasts, skin side down, in a hot pan. We then put them in the oven to finish cooking, hoping the skin would be crispy as Keith had asked for. The last thing we wanted was for them to be overcooked and tough.
The sauce tasted delicious and reduced a bit more when we poured it into the pan where we'd seared the duck. When the duck was cooked we sliced it and served the meal. Voila!
The meal was lovely but Keith said the skin wasn't as crispy as he would have liked. However, the taste of the sauce was delicious and we'll definitely cook duck again, maybe with a cherry sauce next time!
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