WHAT YOU NEED:
Serves 6
1 x 2kg Silver Hill Whole Duck
Salt to rub over
For the cavity
1 orange, sliced in half
Bunch of thyme
4 sprigs rosemary
For the glaze
70ml honey
¼ tsp allspice
Dash of nutmeg
150ml orange juice
3 tbsp sherry
For the stuffing balls
100g finely chopped leeks,
2 tbsp butter and 2 tbsp rapeseed oil
100g finely chopped pancetta
4 tbsp dried cranberries
Zest of 1 large orange
2 medium eggs
2 tsp finely chopped sage
1 tsp chopped thyme
1 tsp finely chopped rosemary
280g breadcrumbs
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Sprigs of bay leaves, to garnish
Sprigs of sage, to garnish
Orange slices, to garnish
HOW TO:
To prepare the whole duck:
Fold the neck flap over and secure with a cocktail stick.
Place the orange halves, thyme and rosemary into the cavity and close with a cocktail stick or small skewer.
Score the skin of the duck breast with a sharp knife.
Rub salt over the duck.
Place the duck into a large roasting tray and carefully pour over about 2 litres of boiling water.
Leave for 4 minutes until the skin has tightened.
Take it out the water, pat dry and place back into the fridge, uncovered for a least 4 hours. You can even leave it overnight if you wish.
Preheat the oven to 190°C/fan 170°C/gas 5.
To prepare the glaze:
Combine all the ingredients together in a saucepan and simmer for 4 minutes over a low heat. Generously spoon some onto the duck.
Place on a rack or trivet on a roasting tray and roast for ½ hour.
Spoon more glaze over and lower the temperature to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4 and roast for a further 50 minutes.
Pour / spoon the duck fat into a container for later use for the potatoes.
Depending on the weight of the duck, you may need to roast for longer. If the wing tips are browning too fast, cover them in foil.
To prepare the stuffing balls:
Warm a frying pan, add some oil and the pancetta and cook until crispy. Remove to a mixing bowl when cooked and leave to cool.
Then heat butter and oil in a large frying pan, add the leeks and sauté until softened but not brown. Spoon into the mixing bowl with the pancetta.
Add cranberries, orange zest, eggs, sage, thyme, rosemary and breadcrumbs and season with salt and freshly ground black pepper, mix well and shape into walnut size stuffing balls.
Heat a large frying pan with oil and fry the stuffing balls in batches until golden.
To check that the duck is done:
Insert a thermometer in the thickest part, the reading should be 74°C.
Cover and leave to rest for 15 minutes.
Transfer to a platter, arrange sprigs of bay leaves and sage around the duck.
Place the stuffing balls around and garnish with orange slices and serve.
Tip: To prevent the stuffing from sticking to your hands when shaping, dampen your hands with water
