Khanyi Mlaba
We’ve teamed up with Josie Eveleigh of Where Josie Goes to bring you an exciting online series Feasting in France.
Follow Josie’s cooking adventures in France as she joins well-known South African chef and author Marlene van der Westhuizen in her home in Charroux to learn how to cook French style. If you missed last week’s recipes, click here.
The final recipe in this series is for duck-breast with glazed apple. Let us know if you try it out by tagging us on Instagram using the hashtag #FeastinginFrance.
Don’t forget to visit the SA Garden and Home Instagram account to see Josie’s Instagram story takeover. To see the previous week’s Instagram stories, head over to the highlights on our profile.
DUCK-BREAST WITH GLAZED APPLE
(Serves 6)
INGREDIENTS
2 duck breasts
handful fresh sage, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
salt and pepper, to taste
250ml red wine
150ml demerara sugar
2,5t cumin
5 cardamom pods
1 star anise
2 cinnamon sticks
8 shallots, peeled and sliced in long, thin wedges
50g butter, cut into small pieces
50g castor sugar
2 baking apples, peeled, cored and quartered
50ml brandy
METHOD
1. Use a sharp knife and score the skin and fat with five cuts per duck breast.
2. Mix the chopped sage and garlic with the salt and pepper and rub the mixture into the cuts.
3. Lightly heat a pan on a very, very low flame and place the duck breasts skin side down to gently cook. Allow the fat to render slowly and braise the duck breasts for about 30 minutes until the skin is caramelised and crisp.
4. Turn the duck breasts and cook the other side of the meat lightly for about 2 minutes.
5. Remove from the pan and slice thinly. The meat should be a light rosé colour. Keep warm on a serving platter.
6. In the meantime, bring the wine to the boil, add the demerara sugar together with all the spices and bring to the boil. Reduce the wine by at least half before adding the sliced shallots.
7. Reduce until the sauce has a shiny syrupy-like consistency and the shallots are beautifully caramelised.
8. Melt the butter and the castor sugar in a small pan and braise the apple slices in the butter and sugar until sticky but still firm. Pour the brandy over the apples and flambé.
9. Spoon the fragrant apple slices onto the platter with the thinly sliced duck breasts; pour the spicy red wine and shallot sauce over the sliced duck breast and serve.
