A classic dish for dinner

THE RECIPE IS from Raymond Blanc and it's a cracker!

Duck breast with black cherry sauce, and served with sweet potato.

Actually, its the potato that comes as a revelation to me - previously I've never been that enamoured with sweet spuds, but by gum, they really went well today.

My Good Lady and I did the meal between us, with her as the chef and me as the kitchen dogsbody. I don't mind helping out, though.

First we sear the duck breasts, draining off the excess fat as we go, and frying them until the skins are crispy. Then into the oven with them.

Next the sweet potatoes get sliced up, and again fried in a little oil and butter until they're just beginning to brown, and then into the oven with them!

And while the cooker does its magic, we make up the jus - black cherries, stoned and blitzed, then with some brown sugar added, a good splash of red wine and ditto port, we make up a rich and very tasty sauce.

The whole thing takes about forty minutes, and you have a true classic dish on the table.

As we enjoy every mouthful I remark to MGL that, if I had my time over again, I think I'd like to be a cook. Not a chef, mind you - a cook.

Last thing I'd want to do is sweat away in some restaurant, churning out the same menu day and night.

No, I mean someone who could experiment with food and wine, with flavours and textures and colours, and then serve the results up in the form of the written word, in cook books and magazine articles.

That would combine my love of writing with my enjoyment of food and drink.

I can think of worse ways to earn a crust...