This Peppered Duck breast with a Port and Cherry Sauce is mouth-wateringly tasty and simple to make. If you’re wary of Szechuan pepper you can always change them to a different variety
The sauce takes minutes to make and can be adapted easily with an alternate jam
Gently score the skin of the duck breasts and then season the breasts with salt. Place some of the crushed peppercorns onto a plate and press the peppercorns into the scored skin
In a dry and cold frying pan, gradually cook the breast skin-side down over a high heat until the skin is crisp and the fat begins to render. Once crispy and well coloured, turn over and fry the duck breast for another 5 minutes
Remove the duck from the pan, cover and set aside to rest in a warm place
Pour most of the rendered duck fat out of the frying pan and add the port, red wine vinegar and cherry jam to the pan over a high heat. The cherry jam will begin to dissolve and thicken. Reduce the sauce by about a third until it's quite sticky. Pour the juices from the rested duck breasts into the pan and give a stir
To serve, carve the duck breast diagonally and pour over a few spoons of sauce