Duck breasts with port, cherry and anise sauce
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Duck breasts with port, cherry and anise sauce
‘We love to cook duck, especially in autumn and winter. Cherries and anise are great with it, plus there’s a little hit of lemongrass, too.’
Prep time: 35 minsTotal time: 
Luke French
Chef Luke French opened Jöro in Sheffield in 2016, combining British ingredients with Nordic and Asian flavours and techniques. The restaurant moved to a new home at Oughtibridge Mill, in the north of the city, and was awarded a Michelin star in 2026. Today, Jöro’s tasting menus showcase Luke’s inventive approach to seasonal cooking.
Luke French
Chef Luke French opened Jöro in Sheffield in 2016, combining British ingredients with Nordic and Asian flavours and techniques. The restaurant moved to a new home at Oughtibridge Mill, in the north of the city, and was awarded a Michelin star in 2026. Today, Jöro’s tasting menus showcase Luke’s inventive approach to seasonal cooking.
Ingredients
- 6 x 170g duck breasts
- sea salt flakes
For the port and cherry sauce
- 150g ruby port
- 80g frozen cherries, defrosted
- 40g duck fat
- 5 spring onions, finely sliced
- 1 garlic clove, finely sliced
- ½ stick lemongrass, bashed with a rolling pin and chopped
- 1 star anise
- 2 tsp shaoxing rice wine
- 20g Bonne Maman Black Cherry Conserve
- 125g chicken stock
- 1 tsp cornflour
- lemon juice, to taste (optional)
Step by step
Make the port and cherry sauce up to 2 days ahead and store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat until piping hot to serve.
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For the sauce, pour the port into a saucepan set over a mediumhigh heat until it’s reduced by about two-thirds and syrupy (about 8-10 minutes). Meanwhile, put the cherries in a small food processor or blender and whizz to a purée. Press through a sieve – you need 50g for the sauce.
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Heat the duck fat in a saucepan over a medium heat. Add the spring onions, garlic, lemongrass and star anise. Cook for 6-8 minutes or until softened and turning golden. Add the shaoxing rice wine, reduced port, cherry conserve, chicken stock, 50g cherry purée and plenty of black pepper. Bring to the boil. Meanwhile, stir 1 teaspoon of water into the cornflour. Reduce the heat, then whisk in the cornflour mixture and cook for a few minutes until thickened. Remove from the heat, strain into a separate small saucepan (discard the aromatics) and check the seasoning to taste, adding salt and/or lemon juice as needed. Set aside.
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Preheat the oven to 120°C, fan 100°C, gas ½. Pat the duck breasts dry with kitchen paper until they are no longer wet to the touch. Using a sharp knife, score the skin finely across the width of the breast but be careful not to cut into the flesh.
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Season the duck liberally all over with the sea salt flakes. In 2 batches (or using 2 pans), place the duck breasts skin-side down in a large, cold frying pan and set over a medium heat. Cook until the fat has rendered out and the skin is golden and crispy (about 15-20 minutes). Turn the breasts over and sear the flesh side for 1-2 minutes. Transfer to a large baking tray, skin-side up.
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Roast the duck for 10 minutes, or until the core temperature of the duck reaches at least 50°C on a cook’s thermometer. Remove from the oven and leave to rest for 5-10 minutes. Meanwhile, reheat the port and cherry sauce. Season the duck breasts with more sea salt flakes, then slice and serve with the port sauce, celeriac purée and buttered chard.
