Duck breast with herb bulgur wheat, poached plums and plum sauce

Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 Gressingham duck breasts
• 100g bulgur wheat
• Small bunch parsley
• 50g dried apricots
• 50g dried cranberries
• 600ml chicken stock
• 3 red plums
• 3 yellow plums
• 50ml port
• 1 shallot
• Sprig thyme

Preparation

• Score the skin of your duck and season well with salt and pepper.
• Place skin side down into a cold, non stick frying pan and place over a medium-high heat. 
• Cook for 10 minutes without moving. 
• Give the breasts a gentle squeeze. They should give a little but still be soft. 
• If you need to cook further, place into an oven at 180°C for 10 minutes. 
• Allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.
• Place the bulgur wheat into a pan with 200ml chicken stock. 
• Bring to the boil and allow to cook for 10 minutes. 
• Remove from the heat and drain any excess liquid. 
• Stir through some chopped parsley, apricots and cranberries.
• Gently fry the shallots in a saucepan with a little oil. 
• Add the port and reduce by half. 
• Add the stock and thyme and continue to cook. 
• Halve the plums and add to the saucepan. 
• After 10 minutes, remove the plums and strain off the shallots and thyme. 
• Cook down the sauce until thick and finish by whisking in a little cold butter until glossy.
• To plate, cut the duck breast in half lengthways and place on the dish with the cut side up. 
• Spoon on some bulgur and add a half of each plum to the dish. 
• Drizzle some sauce around the plate.