Ingredients

• 4 female Barbary duck breasts
• 2-3 tbsp black peppercorns
• cracked
• 50ml/2fl oz cognac
• 100ml/3½fl oz light gravy (or chicken stock reduced and thickened with arrowroot)
• 100ml/3½fl oz double cream
• 110g/4oz shiitake mushrooms
• 110g/4oz oyster mushrooms
• 30g/1oz dried black trumpet mushrooms
• soaked and drained
• 25ml/1fl oz light olive oil
• 2 tbsp butter
• 110g/4oz fresh spinach
• 8 sprigs flatleaf parsley to garnish

Directions

• Trim the duck breasts and lightly score the skin side with a sharp knife.
• Spread the cracked peppercorns on to the duck breasts
• pressing down the pepper into the breasts. Season with salt.
• Heat a large pan over a moderate heat
• and place the duck breasts in
• skin-side down. Let them cook for 5 minutes or until the skin is nicely golden and crisp.
• Turn the breasts over
• and cook for approximately 4 minutes more.
• Remove the duck breasts from the pan
• and keep warm.
• Pour off the fat
• and deglaze the pan with the cognac.
• Add the gravy (or stock)
• stirring well to scrape up the caramelised juices.
• Add the cream and simmer to reduce to sauce consistency.
• Fry the mushrooms in the olive oil
• and half of the butter.
• Fry off the spinach in the remaining butter.
• Mix the two together.
• To serve
• spoon the spinach and mushroom mixture on to warmed plates. Slice the duck breasts
• and arrange on top of the spinach mixture. Surround with the sauce.