Duck Breast with Melon, Apple and Calvados

Ingredients

• 2 large duck breast fillets (about 300 g)
• Salt
• Pepper (freshly ground)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 apple
• 100 ml red wine
• 100 ml balsamic vinegar
• 2 cloves
• 40 ml Calvados
• 1 tbsp apple jam
• 4 watermelon slices (about 100 g)

Instructions

1. 1.

   Preheat the oven to 100 °C fan.

2. 2.

   Wash the duck breasts, pat dry and cut a diamond pattern into the skin. Season with salt and pepper and brown in a hot pan on the skin side for about 5 minutes. Flip briefly so the pores close. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, brush with 1 tbsp honey. Wash the apple, quarter it, core it and slice into wedges. Arrange the apple wedges on the tray with the duck and brush them with honey as well. Bake in the preheated oven at 100 °C for about 35 minutes.

3. 3.

   Drain the fat from the pan and deglaze the fond with red wine and balsamic vinegar. Add the cloves and reduce to about one‑quarter of the liquid. Stir in Calvados and apple jam, then remove the cloves again. Season with salt and pepper.

4. 4.

   Slice the watermelon into very thin strips.

5. 5.

   Remove the duck breasts from the oven, let rest for a moment, then slice them and arrange on a plate with the apple wedges, melon strips and a drizzle of sauce reduction.