Tuscan Roast Duck for Easter

Take the plunge and look beyond leg of lamb this Easter. Instead, how about opting for roast duck? It's rich, tasty and simple - it's hard to go far wrong, even for the most reluctant of chefs. Our free range ducks naturally pair well with an orange/ cherry palette. But if you fancy veering away from that, this Tuscan style recipe is a surefire winner. Stuffed with a pork, fennel seed and garlic mixture and roasted over potato boulangère, it's a low input, impressive Easter lunch.

Better still, the leftovers make for mouthwatering calzone or empanadas the next day.

Yields1 Serving
 1 whole duck
 2 tbsp olive oil
 1 large onion
 6 garlic cloves
 250 g diced pancetta, salami, lardons or streaky bacon off cuts
 1 tbsp fennel seeds
 salt and pepper, to taste
 500 ml chicken stock
1

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft.

2

Chop the duck liver and heart and add to the pan with the onions and chopped garlic. Cook for another five minutes.

3

Meanwhile, with a pestle and mortar, coarsely grind the fennel seed and add salt and pepper.

4

Add the fennel mix and the diced cured pork of your choice to the onion mixture.

5

Place the duck on a trivet on the draining board and pour boiling water over inside and out, then pat dry.

6

Fill the cavity of the duck with the stuffing mixture, taking care to close the opening with kitchen thread. Salt and pepper the outside of the duck as well and then place on a rack over a roasting tray of sliced potatoes and onions.

7

Add the chicken stock and roast at 150°C for about two and a half hours. The potatoes will take longer , so carefully remove the duck and cover with foil.

8

When the potatoes are done, take out of the oven and turn up to 225°C. Remove the foil then reheat the duck for ten minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve with all of the usual Sunday roast trimmings.

9

If there are any leftovers, pick the meat off the bone, chop and mix with any stuffing that's also left over.Chop a couple of plum tomatoes (tinned are fine) and sauté until reasonably dry. Add about 15 stoned, chopped Gordal olives, 30 mls of sweet anisette (pastis, ouzo etc - there's always something at the back of the cupboard) and about 500g of the duck/stuffing mix. Make into calzone (folded pizzas) with standard pizza dough or empanadas (see https://bensfarmshop.co.uk/recipe/crab-chorizo-empanadas/ for the pastry recipe)

Ingredients

 1 whole duck
 2 tbsp olive oil
 1 large onion
 6 garlic cloves
 250 g diced pancetta, salami, lardons or streaky bacon off cuts
 1 tbsp fennel seeds
 salt and pepper, to taste
 500 ml chicken stock

Directions

1

Sauté the onion in the olive oil until soft.

2

Chop the duck liver and heart and add to the pan with the onions and chopped garlic. Cook for another five minutes.

3

Meanwhile, with a pestle and mortar, coarsely grind the fennel seed and add salt and pepper.

4

Add the fennel mix and the diced cured pork of your choice to the onion mixture.

5

Place the duck on a trivet on the draining board and pour boiling water over inside and out, then pat dry.

6

Fill the cavity of the duck with the stuffing mixture, taking care to close the opening with kitchen thread. Salt and pepper the outside of the duck as well and then place on a rack over a roasting tray of sliced potatoes and onions.

7

Add the chicken stock and roast at 150°C for about two and a half hours. The potatoes will take longer , so carefully remove the duck and cover with foil.

8

When the potatoes are done, take out of the oven and turn up to 225°C. Remove the foil then reheat the duck for ten minutes to crisp up the skin. Serve with all of the usual Sunday roast trimmings.

9

If there are any leftovers, pick the meat off the bone, chop and mix with any stuffing that's also left over.Chop a couple of plum tomatoes (tinned are fine) and sauté until reasonably dry. Add about 15 stoned, chopped Gordal olives, 30 mls of sweet anisette (pastis, ouzo etc - there's always something at the back of the cupboard) and about 500g of the duck/stuffing mix. Make into calzone (folded pizzas) with standard pizza dough or empanadas (see https://bensfarmshop.co.uk/recipe/crab-chorizo-empanadas/ for the pastry recipe)

Tuscan Roast Duck for Easter
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