This is one of my favourite asian dishes. Duck breast and five spice work so well together but it has to have a crispy skin. We were having rice with dinner so I thought a sauce would be nice and I found a similar recipe on the gressingham website, it tasted really yummy. It is a more sophisticated take on sweet and sour with little bursts of flavour from the ginger.

Ingredients (serves 2 )

• 2 duck breast
• 4 tsp five spice powder
• salt and pepper
• drizzle of olive oil, for frying
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic (2 cloves)
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger, peeled and finely chopped
• 3 tbsp tamarind paste, mixed with a splash of water
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tbsp fish sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 100ml chicken stock

Directions

1. Pre-heat the oven to 180^oC, Fan 160^oC, Gas Mark 4.
2. Score the fat on each duck breast and season well with salt, pepper, 5-spice and thyme. Place the duck breasts skin side down into a large frying pan, and place on a medium heat (without oil) and cook for about 8 minutes until the fat has rendered out and the skin has gone golden brown and crispy.
3. Turn the duck breasts over briefly to seal the flesh side, and then transfer to a roasting dish and place in the oven for 8 minutes.
4. Whilst the duck is roasting, pour away the fat from the frying pan and add the olive oil, garlic & ginger and cook on a medium heat stirring constantly without colouring. Add the tamarind puree, oyster sauce, fish sauce and sugar and cook until dissolved. Stir-in the stock until the desired consistency is achieved and then season to taste with salt and pepper.
5. Leave the duck breasts to rest for five minutes before carving, then arrange onto a plate and drizzle with the sauce. Serve alongside rice or noodles.