Name: Duck in plum sauce (Chinese-style)
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 42 min
Total time: 1 h 7 min
Yield: 2
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: Cooked rice and stir-fried greens to serve (optional); 2 skin-on, boneless duck breasts (about 340g); 1 tbsp dark soy sauce; ½ tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil; 2 plums (about 160g), stoned and sliced; 1 star anise; 1 cinnamon stick; 15g ginger peeled and sliced; 4 garlic cloves peeled but left whole; 30g rock sugar (find online or in specialist supermarkets); ½ lemon zest pared; 2 tbsp Shaohsing wine; 2 tbsp light soy sauce

Sliced duck in plum sauce (Chinese style) with rice and greens

Cooked rice and stir-fried greens
to serve (optional)
2 skin-on, boneless duck breasts
(about 340g)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
½ tbsp vegetable or sunflower oil

For the plum sauce

2 plums
(about 160g), stoned and sliced
1 star anise
1 cinnamon stick
15g ginger
peeled and sliced
4 garlic cloves
peeled but left whole
30g rock sugar
(find online or in specialist supermarkets)
½ lemon
zest pared
2 tbsp Shaohsing wine
2 tbsp light soy sauce

Method

step 1
Gently score the skin of both duck breasts using a sharp knife, then rub the dark soy sauce all over the breasts and into the cuts.
step 2
Heat the oil into a large frying pan over a medium-high heat and sear the duck breasts, skin-side down, until starting to turn crispy, about 5 mins. Flip over and cook for 5 mins more, then remove to a plate, leaving any fat behind, and set aside to rest.
step 3
Add the plum slices, star anise, cinnamon stick, ginger, garlic, rock sugar and lemon zest to the pan. Pour in the Shaohsing wine and light soy sauce, mix well, then add 200ml water and simmer gently for 15 mins over a medium heat. Nestle the duck breasts in, skin-side up, cover with a lid and cook for a further 15 mins.
step 4
Season with ¼ tsp salt, then remove the duck from the pan and slice into even pieces. Pass the sauce through a sieve into a bowl, then pour the plum sauce over the duck breasts. Serve with cooked rice and stir-fried greens, if you like.