Recipe: Dine with Tasha

Ingredients:

3 Tbsp butter

20 Fresh cherries, pitted

2 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

½ Cup Leopard’s Leap Culinaria Pinot Noir Chardonnay

4 Sprigs of thyme

1 Tbsp brown sugar

2 Duck breast fillets, skin on

Salt flakes

Method:

Heat a pan over medium heat and add the butter. Allow the butter to melt, then add the cherries, balsamic vinegar, wine, and thyme.

Allow to simmer for a couple of minutes, then, using a fork, crush the cherries, leaving a couple of them whole. Add the brown sugar and cook for a further 5 to 10 minutes. Remove the thyme sprigs once sauce has cooked through.

Using a sharp knife, score the skin of the duck in a criss-cross pattern, then season with salt.

Start the duck in a cold pan, skin side down, then slowly heat the pan to medium. After a few minutes you should hear a gentle sizzle and start to see duck fat slowly filling the pan.

Cook until fat has rendered completely, and the skin has gone crispy – around 10 minutes. Turn the breasts over and cook for 2 minutes, then remove from pan and set aside to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.

Properly cooked duck breast should have a deliciously thin, crispy, golden layer of skin.

Slice the duck and top with some of the cherry sauce. A simple side of charred Bok Choy and a chilled glass of Culinaria Pinot Noir Chardonnay completes the meal. Enjoy!