Ingredients

• 400ml/14fl oz cabernet sauvignon vinegar
• 125g/4½ oz plain chocolate
• 110g/4oz unsalted butter
• softened
• 2 barbary ducks
• 1 litre/1 pint 15fl oz duck fat
• 2 cloves garlic
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 shallots
• chopped
• 1 tsp caster sugar
• 300ml/10½fl oz port
• 300ml/10½fl oz chicken stock
• salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 200g/7oz fresh cherries
• stones removed
• 1 punnet lamb's cress
• to serve (substitute mustard cress if unavailable)

Directions

• For the chocolate ganache
• place the vinegar into a non-reactive saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook until the volume of liquid has reduced to 110ml/4fl oz.
• Place the chocolate into a bowl over a pan of simmering water (do not let the water touch the bottom of the bowl). Heat until melted.
• Remove the bowl from the heat
• then gently stir in the butter and the reduced vinegar. Mix until well combined. Place in the fridge until firm
• about two hours.
• For the duck
• preheat the oven to 150C/300F/Gas 2. Remove the legs and breasts from the duck. (You will not need the carcass for this recipe; save to make stock for another dish.)
• Heat a large ovenproof frying pan until just warm
• then add the duck legs
• skin-side down
• and cook for one minute until just browned. Add the duck fat
• one clove of garlic and half of the thyme.
• Cook in the preheated oven for 1-1½ hours
• then carefully remove the duck legs from the fat and keep warm.
• Meanwhile
• heat another frying pan until hot. Add the olive oil
• shallots and the remaining garlic and thyme. Cook for 2-3 minutes
• or until softened
• then add the sugar and cook for a further minute
• stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Add the port and cook until reduced to a sticky glaze. Add the chicken stock and cook until the volume is reduced by half (the sauce should be thick enough to coat the back of a spoon).
• Pass the sauce through a sieve back into the pan and season
• to taste
• with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Add the cherries and cook for one minute.
• Remove the skin from the duck breast and add the skin to the pan with the duck legs and fat. Return to the oven and cook until soft
• 2-3 minutes. Scrape the fat from the cooked duck skin. Place onto a baking tray
• then weigh down with another heavy baking tray to keep it flat. Return to the oven and cook for 4-5 minutes
• or until crisp.
• Season the duck breast with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat a frying pan until hot
• add a little of the duck fat and add the duck breast. Cook on each side for 2-3 minutes or until cooked to your liking. Remove from the pan and leave to rest for 2-3 minutes. Keep warm.
• To serve
• place a duck leg into the centre of each of four plates. Carve the breasts into three pieces and place around the leg.
• Place a piece of the crisp duck skin onto the pieces of duck breast. Using two spoons
• form the chocolate ganache into oval-shaped quenelles and place one on top of each piece of crisp duck skin. Spoon the cherries and sauce around the duck
• scatter over the lamb's cress and serve.