Duck legs with cherry sauce

I think bottled sour cherries are actually better with duck than fresh ones, but if you can’t find them, use fresh.

150 g fresh cherries or bottled sour cherries
4 tbsp marsala or sweet sherry
4 large duck legs, defrosted
Half tsp ground coriander
Salt and pepper
Flour
200 ml chicken stock

Stone the cherries. If you’re using fresh ones, cut them in half, otherwise leave them whole. Put them into a small bowl, pour on the marsala and put to one side.

Prick the skin of the duck legs all over with a skewer, then sprinkle the flesh with the coriander and some salt and pepper, rubbing them in well. Heat a non-stick frying pan, add the duck, skin side down, and fry for about 20 minutes over low heat until the skin is well-browned. Pour off the fat, but don’t throw it away – it makes lovely crunchy roast potatoes – then turn the legs over and briefly brown the other side.

Preheat the oven to 170ºC. Transfer the duck legs to a roasting tin and strain the juice from the cherries over them. Cover the tin tightly with foil and put it in the oven for about an hour-and-a-half, when the legs should be meltingly tender. Transfer them to a serving dish, cover and keep warm.

Skim off and discard as much fat as possible from the roasting tin, put the tin over low heat and sprinkle in enough flour to absorb the remaining fat. Cook, stirring for two or three minutes, then whisk in the chicken stock. Bring to the boil, lower the heat again, stir in the cherries and some salt and pepper and simmer for five minutes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as necessary, then spoon the cherries over the duck and pour the sauce into a gravy boat.

Serve with roast potatoes cooked in the duck fat. (Serves four)