Gressingham duck breast with sour cherry and cinnamon sauce, fondant potato

• 4 Gressingham duck breasts

Fondant Potato

• 4 large potatoes
• 2 tbsp light olive oil
• 3 tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 cloves garlic
• 250 ml chicken stock

Sauce

• 200g sour cherries
• 1 tsp ground cinnamon
• 2 tsp caster sugar
• 50g unsalted butter
• 150 ml chicken stock

1. Pre heat oven to 200c or 180c fan, gas mark 6
2. Peel the potatoes and slice the ends off. Try to make a squat, cylinder shape.
3. Place an oven proof frying pan on a low to medium heat, pour in the oil and place the potatoes in flat side down. Season. Cook for approx 5 mins until the base is golden brown and turn the potatoes over. Season. Cook until golden brown. Add in the remaining ingredients for the potatoes - the stock needs to come halfway up the potato - and bring up to the boil. Baste the potatoes and place in the oven for approximately 35 mins or until tender. Baste a couple of times during cooking. You can check with a skewer or knife for tenderness.
4. Score the skin of the duck breasts and pat dry. Season both sides.
5. Lay the duck breasts skin side down into a cold un-oiled pan and cook on a low to medium heat for 6 to 8 minutes until the skin is golden and crispy (regularly drain off the rendered fat carefully into a bowl.) Turn the duck over to seal the meat side for 30 seconds then transfer to a roasting tray (keep the frying pan for later)
6. Place duck in the oven for 8 to 12 minutes depending on how well done you like you duck cooked. After cooking time transfer the duck to a plate and leave somewhere warm for 10 minutes to rest while you prepare the sauce.
7. Heat up the frying pan with a little of the duck fat and add in all the sauce ingredients plus any juices from the duck. Turn up the heat and reduce the sauce until it has thickened stirring occasionally so it does not stick to the pan.
8. Take off heat and whisk in another teaspoon of butter if desired. Season to taste.
9. Carve the duck thickly and serve onto 4 plates along with the potato and your favourite greens. Pour the sauce over and around the duck .