Sunday Dinner Series, 13-January

(Aileen)
Sunday evenings mean dinner at home. This week was my turn to cook. I served up a couple of French Barbary duck breasts, thick, rich, gamey and steak-like, the richness cut with a sweet port reduction. Crispy green beans, mushrooms and a tasty Gigondas (Cote du Rhone) round off the meal.

Menu
Barbary Magret de Canard with Port Sauce
Sauteed French green beans, mixed mushrooms and shallots
Roasted baby potatoes

Wine
Chateau de Saint Cosme 2005, Gigondas

To Prepare:
Port reduction
Saute handful on chopped shallots in 2 tbsp butter. Add splash of cognac and reduce 1-2 minutes. Add ½ cup each port and beef stock. Add sprig rosemary. Season with salt and pepper. Cook and reduce to about ¼ liquid. Strain and set aside.

Duck breast
Score and season skin side with salt and pepper. Cook skin side down in butter and olive oil until skin is browned and crisp. Turn. Place pan in 180C oven and cook 5 minutes for medium rare. Remove from oven and let rest for 5 minutes.

Vegetables
- Blanch green beans. Saute mushrooms in shallots and butter.
- Season baby potatoes with olive oil, salt and pepper. Roast in 180C oven 20 minutes.

Finishing
- Saute ½ c chopped shallots in 2 tbsp butter. Add blanched beans and sautéed musrooms and heat until warm. Season with salt and pepper.
- As breast is resting, deglaze plan with splash of beef stock. Add port reduction. Season with salt and pepper. Let reduce. Finish with 2 Tbsp butter.

We ate too quickly too so no pictures sorry. Was delicious though and the Gigondas was really good.