Duck breast stuffed with figs and wrapped in speck with cider and honey sauce

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duck

At the moment I find myself extremely busy as always.  I feel I need a photo to accompany my recipes but this has left me not producing much on the site because photos take time.  So I have decided I will create the library on the blog site and photos will have to come later.  I have so many excellent recipes up my sleeve and just want to get them down on paper (I suppose we won’t be using that term much longer, I guess it will be on screen or out in the clouds!)
Anyway I have used this recipe time and again it is simple.   I think simple dishes are the best, and I personally like to taste the food that is eaten not have it masked by too many elements.
Cheers Clare :)

Duck breasts stuffed with figs,

 wrapped in ham with cider and honey sauce

Ingredients

4 x 250g duck breasts

40g unsalted butter

4 - 6 ready to eat, good quality figs, finely chopped

8 slices speck (smoke air-cured ham or normal cured ham)

300ml medium cider

1 tsp honey

Method

1. Skin duck breast, turn and reserve the fat.  Flatten breast between plastic film and gently flatten with mullet or rolling pin, 1cm thick.

2. Combine 15g of the butter with the figs and place thin rolls of the mixture down the centre of the duck breasts.  Roll up each breast and wrap in two slices of speck, secure with cocktail sticks or string.

3. Melt some of the duck fat or olive oil in pan and fry breast, until sealed and coloured, place in oven dish 15 - 20 minutes in oven at 190 – 200 degrees Celsius.

4. Meanwhile deglaze the pan with cider scaping all crusty bits into sauce.  Boil for 5 mins to reduce then pass through sieve return to pan.  Stir in honey and remaining butter.  Season to taste.  Slice duck rolls and arrange with sauce.

This recipe serves 6 depending on portion sizes or 4 if duck breasts are small.  Extremely easy recipe and looks great on the plate served with herbed mash potato and steamed vegetables.