I have never cooked duck breast before and was a little nervous that it would dry out and be tough but this recipe produced a beautifully moist and tasty dish. I used the oven time for medium and it was perfect. I served the breast with bok choy, wilted in the duck fat in the frypan, and mashed potato.

Ingredients

• 4 duck breasts
• ½ cup orange marmalade
• ½ cup Pedro Ximenez sherry
• 2 shallots, finely sliced
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees celcius.
Prepare the duck breast by patting it dry and trimming off excess fat, then, using a sharp knife, score across the skin side 4 times through the fat but just barely to the meat. Rub the skin with salt and pepper.
Heat a frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the shallots then lay the breast in the pan skin-side down and fry until the skin is brown and crisp, about 4-5 minutes. Turn and cook for 1 minute.
Spread 1 tablespoon of the orange marmalade over the skin of each piece then place skin side down on a rack in a roasting pan in the middle of the oven and roast until cooked to taste (see notes below).
Remove from the roasting pan and rest, covered with aluminum foil.
Pour off excess fat from the frying pan then add the sherry and remaining marmalade. Whisk the sauce over high heat, bring to the boil and cook until the sauce thickens, about 2 minutes.
Slice the duck breasts thinly, arrange on serving plates, and pour the sauce over the top.

Notes
Timing for the duck breast once in the oven:
Rare – 10 minutes
Medium – 15 minutes
Well Done – 18 minutes
All ovens vary in performance, so this is a guide only.