Serves 4 INGREDIENTS 4 baking potatoes 3 sprigs thyme 3 sprigs rosemary 4 cloves garlic (halved) 1 litre chicken stock 100g unsalted butter ½ bottle red wine 100g redcurrant jelly 4 duck breasts (with the fat trimmed and scored) 1 spring cabbage (shredded) 20g unsalted butter 2 nectarines (halved and stoned) 50g brown sugar 25g unsalted butter
METHOD Cut the top and bottom off the potatoes and then using a round pastry cutter, cut in to a cylinder. Put in a deep baking tray with the garlic, herbs, stock and butter and place in the oven for around 40 minutes at 180c. Cook until the centre of the potato is soft. Pass the stock through a fine sieve into a sauce pan and cook on a moderate heat. When boiling, add the red wine and redcurrant jelly. Reduce by 2/3 then season to taste. Glaze the potato with a little softened butter and put back in the oven until the duck is cooked. Season both sides of the duck breast and place in a warm (not hot) frying pan. Cook on the skin side for approximately 6 minutes then turn over and continue cooking for a further 2 minutes. Leave to rest before slicing. Sprinkle the halved nectarines with the brown sugar and place them in a pan with the butter and cook until softened. Bring 100ml of water to the boil with the butter and put the shredded spring cabbage in to the liquid. Simmer for 1 minute and season to taste. Then drain and start to plate the food. Arrange the components attractively, with the gravy on the plate rather than on the duck. Recipe by Simon Partridge, Head chef at Windows, the 7th floor restaurant at the Carlton George Hotel in Glasgow