Duck L'Orange With Braised Red Cabbage - cooking recipe

Ingredients

4 duck breasts
1 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/2 head red cabbage
60 ml water
2 tablespoons caster sugar
3 cm orange rind
1 bay leaf
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
sea salt and pepper
375 ml orange juice
375 chicken stock
1/2 cinnamon stick
1 star anise
2 garlic cloves
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons Grand Marnier
100 g butter
california navel orange section

Preparation

Slice thinly the red cabbage and place water (I used chicken stock), caster sugar (I substituted Splenda), orange rind, bay leaf, ground cinnamon, red wine vinegar, mustard seeds (I used brown), sea salt and pepper in large saucepan and stif frequently until tender; set aside to keep warm.
Preheat oven 190\u00b0C.
Score duck breasts by making a criss-cross pattern on the skin only.
NOTE: Do not pierce the meat.
Sprinkle duck with five-spice; heat frypan, add duck breast side down. Cook until golden brown (about 4 minutes) Turn over and cook skin side for 1 minute.
Transfer to a baking paper lined oven tray. Cook for about 9 - 10 minutes or until medium rare. Stand covered in foil for 5 minutes. Slice thickly.
In saucepan, bring juice, stock, spices, garlic, honey (I used sugarless maple syrup), and liqueur to a boil, Gently boil, reduce by half. Whisk in butter (cut in small pieces) in piece by piece.
To make caramelised oranges, pour away any excess duck fat from frypan. Add ornages and sprinkle caster sugar (I used Splenda) Cook over medium heat until caramelised. Remove from heat when just starting to turn broan.
To serve, spoon cabbage onto 4 plates. Tope with duck. Spoon sauce over and place orange segments on top. Garnish with fresh herbs if desired.
NOTE: Check cabbage while cooking, if starts to stick add more water or stock.
NOTE: When you pour the sauce over the duck, need to be careful (if worried about presentation) not to pour too much into/onto the cabbage as the juice from the cabbage will bled pinkish on the plate.
NOTE: This recipe IS great! Don't be shy to try, as I had never made before today!