Ingredients: • 4 female boneless Barbary duck breasts. • 2-3 tablespoons cracked black peppercorns. • Salt. • 50ml (2 fl oz) cognac. • 100ml (31¼2 fl oz) light gravy or stock. • 100ml (31¼2 fl oz) double cream. • 8 flatleaf parsley sprigs, to garnish. FOR THE MUSHROOM MIXTURE • 100g (4 oz) shiitake mushrooms. • 100g (4 oz) oyster mushrooms. • 30g (generous 1 oz) dried black trumpet mushrooms, soaked and drained. • 30ml (1 fl oz) light olive oil. • 2 tablespoons butter. • 100g (4 oz) fresh spinach.

Directions: This is basically just a pepper steak dish except that it uses duck breasts. If you don’t enjoy duck skin, you can remove it by simply pulling It away from the breast. Release any stuck bits by nicking them with a sharp knife. Trim the duck breasts and lightly score the skin sides with a sharp knife. Spread the cracked peppercorns on the duck breasts, pressing them into the breasts. Season with salt. Heat a large frying pan over a moderate heat and place the duck breasts in it, skin-side down. Let them cook for 5 minutes or until the skin is nicely golden and crisp. Turn the breasts over, and cook for another 4 minutes. Remove the duck breasts from the pan and keep warm. Pour off the fat, and deglaze the saucepan with the cognac. Add the gravy or stock, stirring well to scrape up the caramelized juices. Add the cream and simmer to reduce to a sauce consistency that will coat the back of a spoon. To make the mushroom mixture, fry the mushrooms in the oil and 1 tablespoon of the butter. Fry the spinach in the remaining butter. Mix the two together. To serve, spoon the mushroom mixture onto four warm plates. Slice the duck breasts and arrange them on top. Surround with the sauce and garnish with sprigs of parsley. Serves 4