Supreme of Duck with Braised Red Cabbage, Chestnuts and a Cranberry Port Jus

This dish is great for entertaining in the lead up to christmas. The flovours are festive and seasonal and get you in the right mood. If your feeding the family substitute the breasts for a couple of whole birds and the garnish could also make agreat side dish for the Christmas table...

Supreme of Duck with Braised Red Cabbage, Chestnuts and a Cranberry Port Jus
Serves 4                
4 Duck Breasts            1 Pkt Green Beans        1 Orange
½ Pint Red Wine            Port Stock            1 Lemon
1 Red Cabbage             12 Chestnuts                ½ Bottle Port
¼ Pint Beef Stock                        50 g Sugar
1 Onion                                    2 Cloves    
1 Apple                    Cranberries                200 g Butter    
200 ml White Wine  Vinegar    20 Potatoes (Charlotte or Vivaldi)
100ml Olive Oil
       

Starting with the Duck Breast: Trim off the excess Fat and Sinew, then score the top of the skin and place in the fridge until needed. Peel and slice Onion thinly and cut the red Cabbage in four. Take off the outer leaves and discard before taking out the core, then slice it very thinly. Fry the Onion lightly (No Colouring), add the red cabbage and again fry lightly, no colouring. Then add the red wine and a little white wine vinegar, mix well and add the stock. Bring this to boil, then cover with tin foil or greaseproof paper, place in the oven until cooked.
When about 30 minutes from cooked peel, core and chop the Apple, then fold through the cabbage. Once cooked and you have some excess sauce reduce this and then fold through the cabbage until it has a nice shine to it.
Take the Cranberries and place them in a bowl. Put Port, Orange and Lemon Juice as well as Zest and bring this mix to boil. Put Cloves, Juniper berries into a muslin cloth and drop this into the Mix once it boiling and then add the cranberries, cook for a few minutes and then place it into a tub or Jar and keep until needed. Take some of the Port from the Cranberries, add stock and reduce down to a Sauce consistency. Place the Chestnuts in a wide Pan and add a little of the Sauce and reduce and glace the Chestnuts.
Take the Potatoes and either peel or turn them into a barrel shaped form. Start with a hot Pan, put Olive Oil in and add the Potatoes, fry lightly, mixing well then add Butter and get this frothy quickly and then just cook slowly sop the Potatoes are golden brown.
Pick the green Beans by the top and tail them, then boil them in boiling salted water and immediately refresh them in iced salted water and drain the beans as soon as they have cooled down. Just before serving Season the Duck on both sides and then place it in a hot frying pan, skin side down first until it has a nice golden colour and then turn over. Then flip it back onto the skin side and place it in the oven for about 6 minutes. Once done take it out and let it rest whilst you heat the rest of your dish.
Put the red cabbage at the bottom of the plate, green beans on top right, the Potatoes top left. Then slice your Duck and place on top of the red Cabbage and add your Chestnuts around this. Put a few of the Cranberries in the Sauce and then pour this over the Duck with a few Cranberries scattered around.              ENJOY!