Ingredients

Method

• 2 x 400 g Woolworths duck breasts
• salt, to taste
• For the sweet-and-sour onions:
• 3 T olive oil
• 500 g baby onions, halved
• 2 star anise
• 1 T Muscovado sugar
• ½ cup sherry vinegar
• 3 T butter
• salt, to taste

Method

Ingredients

1. Sandwich the duck breasts together with the skin facing the outside, then truss using 30 cm kitchen string and tie loosely. Season the skin of each breast.

2. Put the duck in a large saucepan over a medium heat, and cook for about 10 minutes on each side. The fat will start to render, which will allow the skin to crisp up.

3. Meanwhile, make the onions. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over a medium to high heat, add the baby onions and brown slightly. Add the star anise and sugar and cook for a further 5 minutes, then add the remaining ingredients and bring to a simmer. You can either cook the onions over a low heat for 20 minutes or until tender, or transfer them to the oven at 180°C for 30–40 minutes. Once tender, add the duck breasts, warm through and serve.

Find more duck recipes here.

Photograph: Myburgh Du Plessis
Food assistants: Bianca Strydom, Jarryd Thesen, Mogau Seshoene