Duck breasts with cranberry-orange sauce

Simply perfect regardless of whether you are planning a huge celebration or simply want to treat yourself to something exceptionally good. It takes some time though as it needs to stay in the marinade for at least a night.

You'll need:

6 duck breasts

For the marinade:
8 spoons of port or wiśniówka (= "cherry cordial", i.e. cherry flavoured vodka)
4 spoons of red wine vinegar
6 spoons of cranberry jam
4 spoons of honey
1 tea spoon of brown sugar
1 tea spoon of freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:
150g of cranberry jam
zest from one orange
juice from one orange
4 spoons of honey
cinnamon
gingerbread spice
a little bit of red wine (optional)

1. Start with preparing the marinade. Put the ingredients in a small pot, stir and warm up on the hob. Allow the marinade to simmer for a few minutes, so that the flavours mix and the sauce achieves a nice smooth consistency.
2. While the marinade is cooling down prepare the duck. Wipe each breast in a dry cloth and then make perpendicular cuts into the fat skin side. Put in a bowl or a plastic bag and add the marinade. Make sure that  the duck is covered in the marinade. Leave in the fridge for 24h (or at least a night).
3. Remove the brests from the marinade and fry on a hot pan. Start with the fatty side. Make sure the fat side fries well (it should start to have a brownish fried colour).
4. Put the duck breasts in an oven dish and add some of the marinade back. Put in the oven set for 180 degrees for 30-50 minutes depending on how well-cooked you want it to be. For medium-rare effect around 25 minutes should suffice.
5. In the meantime you can prepare the sauce. Pour some hot water over an orange and zest it. Then, squeeze the juice from the orange.
6. Add all of the sauce ingredients (except for wine) into a small pot and simmer till the sauce reduces.
7. Add a bit of red wine towards the end of the process (optional).

Bon appétit!