This is one of the best methods I've found of cooking duck, barring the legendary crispy duck with pancakes. The vinegar in this dish makes the duck extremely tender and the peppercorns add a bite without overwhelming the flavour of the meat.

Ingredients (Serves 2)

• 2 duckling breasts, skin on
• 1 dessertspoon green peppercorns
• 1 teaspoon pink peppercorns
• 2 tablespoons cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar will do)
• 1 small pinch tarragon
• Potatoes, peas and rosemary to serve

You will also need two small terrine dishes.

What To Do

1. Soak all the peppercorns in the vinegar for at least 12 hours.
2. Remove the fatty skin from the duck breasts, and cut both the meat and the fat into thin strips.
3. Put the peppercorns and their vinegar marinade in a small mixing bowl. Add the duck meat strips and tarragon and mix thoroughly.
4. Empty the mixing bowl into the two terrine dishes. Push the contents of each dish down, and top each one with two of the strips of fat.
5. Put the terrine dishes into an oven at 190°C (375°F, Gas Mark 5) for 30 minutes.
6. With 5 minutes of cooking time remaining, add the remaining fat strips to a dry frying pan and stir-fry over a medium heat to make 'duck scratchings'.
7. Sprinkle the duck scratchings over the cooked terrines and serve with peas and rosemary roast potatoes.

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