Catherine Fulvio's roast duck with apple walnut and chestnut stuffing and port & redcurrant sauce.

Ingredients

  • 1 large whole duck
  • 2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp orange zest
  • 1 tsp chopped thyme

For the glaze

  • 3 tbsp honey
  • ½ large orange, juice only

For the cavity

  • 1 orange, sliced in half
  • A sprig of bay leaves

For the stuffing balls
Makes 15-18

  • 70g melted butter
  • 50g pancetta slices, minced
  • 2 medium onions, finely chopped
  • 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
  • ½ celery stalk, finely chopped
  • 2 tsp chopped sage
  • 1 tsp chopped rosemary
  • 2 tbsp chopped parsley
  • 1 large red apple, cored and diced small
  • 3 tbsp chopped walnuts
  • 3 tbsp chopped roasted chestnuts
  • 200g fresh breadcrumbs
  • 2 eggs, beaten
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce

  • 2 tsp Irish wholegrain mustard
  • 3 tsp chopped crystalised ginger
  • 2 tsp chopped thyme
  • 4 tsp cornflour (or arrowroot) loosened in 5 tbsp cold water
  • Orange slices, to garnish
  • Bay leaves, to garnish

Glazed Baby Carrots & Brussels Sprouts with Hazelnuts

  • 400g baby carrots
  • 1 tbsp olive oil
  • 4 small sprigs of thyme
  • 300g brussels sprouts, trimmed and halved
  • 60g butter
  • 2 tbsp Irish honey
  • 100g chopped, toasted hazelnuts
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Place the duck (breast side) up on a rack / trivet in a roasting pan and place the orange halves and bay leaves in the cavity of the duck.
  2. With a sharp knife, make shallow incisions along the skin of the breast, scatter over the orange zest, salt and thyme and then rub the seasoning over the skin of the duck.
  3. Tie the legs together if you wish with some thin but strong string. Pour enough water below the trivet so that it thinly covers the base of the pan.
  4. Roast uncovered, until a thermometer reads between 83°C to 85°C in the thickest part of the thigh – this will be about 21 ¼ hours doe a 1.6kg duck, rotate the pan halfway through the cooking time. Place a piece of foil over the duck to prevent it from over browning.

For the glaze

  1. Combine the honey and orange juice and brush over the duck, 15 – 20 minutes before the end of the cooking time. Brush the glaze on twice and return to the oven uncovered.
  2. Keep an eye on it as they honey can burn. As soon as the duck is ready, remove it from the oven and let it stand to rest for 15 minutes.

For the stuffing balls:

  1. Melt the butter in a large pan and add the onions, pancetta, garlic and diced celery and sauté for 6 minutes without browning them.
  2. Add all the rest of the stuffing ingredients. Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
  3. Shape one small ball (this will be your tasting tester for seasoning). Heat a little oil in a frying pan and cook the stuffing tester. Cool and taste.
  4. You may like to adjust the seasoning to your taste and this can be done at this stage. Then shape the mix into neat golf ball size stuffing balls.
  5. Place them on a lined baking tray and drizzle with a little oil and bake them for 25 minutes, turning once.

For the sauce

  1. To prepare the orange and lemon, use a peeler to peel the citrus (½ of a lemon and ½ of an orange) without the pith.
  2. Slice them very finely into strips and add them to a saucepan of boiling water and simmer for 4-5 minutes. Drain the water and set aside. Juice the lemon and the oranges together.
  3. In another saucepan, heat the redcurrant jelly and port and simmer for 5 minutes, whisking well to loosen the jelly.
  4. Mix in the mustard, crystalised ginger and thyme, the juice of the orange and lemon as well as the lemon and orange strips and bring to the boil.
  5. Whisk in the cornflour (or arrowroot) / water mix and still on a low heat, whisk gently till the sauce thickens slightly.
  6. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a serving bowl or jug.

For the baby carrots & Brussels sprouts with hazelnuts

  1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan 160°C/gas 4. Place the baby carrots in a large bowl, pour over the oil and add the thyme.
  2. Toss well and then transfer to a roasting tray to cook for about 20 to 25 minutes or until the carrots are golden and cooked.
  3. Place the Brussels sprout halves into a steamer and cook for about 15 minutes or until just cooked. To retain their
  4. green colour, plunge them directly into iced water. Drain and pat dry. Melt the butter, honey and nuts in a large frying pan.
  5. Add the brussels sprouts and toss well to heat through before adding the carrots and finally season to taste.
  6. Spoon into a serving bowl or around the duck to serve.

To serve

  1. Untie the duck legs if you have them secured. Arrange some fresh bay leaves in the cavity. Place the duck on a serving platter. Arrange the stuffing balls around the side.
  2. Serve with the port and redcurrant sauce and glazed baby carrots and brussels sprouts with hazelnuts.