- 4 x 175g/6oz duck breasts
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 50ml/2fl oz dry sherry
- 1 tbsp vegetable oil
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 400g/14oz cherries, stones and stalks removed
- pinch dried chilli flakes
- 100ml/3½fl oz cherry brandy
- 100ml/3½fl oz chicken stock
- 25g/1oz cold butter
- 200g/7oz plain flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 50g/2oz butter, plus extra for frying
- 1 onion, finely chopped
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 3 tbsp milk
- 250g/10½oz cooked potato, mashed
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 125g/4½oz flaked almonds
- Preheat the oven to 200C/400F/Gas 6.
- Score the skin of the duck a few times with a sharp knife and place skin-side down into a cold frying pan.
- Place the frying pan over a medium heat and cook the duck breasts for 8-10 minutes, pouring off any excess fat (you can reserve and refrigerate the duck fat for use in cooking roast potatoes).
- Turn the duck breasts over and cook for 1-2 minutes, then transfer onto a baking tray and place into the oven to roast for 8-10 minutes, or until cooked to your liking.
- Meanwhile, pour the sherry into the frying pan used to cook the duck breasts and bring to a boil while scraping up the juices from the base of the pan. Cook until the sherry has almost reduced completely.
- Add a little oil, then add the onion and garlic and cook over a medium heat for 5-6 minutes, until softened.
- Add the cherries, chilli flakes, brandy and the stock. Bring to the boil, then cook to reduce the liquid by half.
- Add the cold butter and whisk well to create a glossy sauce.
- For the potato scones, sift the flour and baking powder into a bowl.
- Melt the butter in a clean pan over a medium heat. Add the onion and thyme and fry until the onion has softened.
- Add the onion and thyme mixture to the flour mixture and mix well.
- Add the beaten eggs, the milk and the mashed potatoes and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Mix together well to form a dough.
- Divide the dough into four equal potions and mould each portion into scone-shapes.
- Place onto a tray and transfer to the fridge to rest for 20 minutes.
- Melt the extra butter in a clean frying pan over a medium heat. Add the potato scones and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side, or until golden-brown on each side. (If the scones are still very moist you can transfer them to the warm oven for 2-3 minutes to dry out.)
- To serve, place a scone onto each of four plates. Slice each duck breast and place a few slices onto each scone. Pour over sauce and garnish with a sprinkling of flaked almonds.