Method

Preheat the oven to 200 °C.

Season the duck breasts with salt and pepper. Add the duck breasts to a heavy-based pan (preferably ovenproof) over medium-high heat and brown skin-side down for 5–6 minutes, or until golden. Cook on the other side for about 2 minutes.

Stir all the syrup ingredients together in a bowl. Leave the duck breasts in the pan or transfer to an ovenproof baking dish, add the citrus syrup and roast for a further 5 to 8 minutes in the oven, or until the juices run clear. Remove and allow to rest for 5 minutes.

While the duck rests, simmer the sauce over a medium-low heat to reduce and thicken a little more so that it’s nice and sticky.

Cook the beans in salted boiling water for 1 to 2 minutes, drain, drizzle with the olive oil and lemon juice and scatter over the chopped almonds.

Slice the duck thinly and serve with the green beans and a drizzle of the citrus syrup.

Note: This recipe also works with duck legs, although the roasting time may vary by 5–10 minutes. You could also serve this with crispy roasted potatoes or cauliflower mash.

Extracted from Home. Food from my Kitchen by Sarah Graham (Struik Lifestyle). Photographs: © Penguin Random House South Africa Pty Ltd / Warren Heath.

For more information on this book, visit the publisher’s site here.