Now, given that I have no photos of my most marvellous pheasant meal (for Boxing Day), I’ll just hand over the duck I cooked instead. It was quite tasty. Even if it was overcooked.

You will need:

Duck
Potatoes
Carrots
Porcini mushrooms
Red wine
Beef stock
Onion
Five spice
Ginger
Seasoning for potatoes
Goose fat

Par boil the potatoes and heat the fat.

Put potatoes in to roast and par boil the carrots. Add them to the roasting tray.

Soak the porcini mushrooms for 30 mins. After ten mins begin to cook the duck by searing quickly and then placing in the oven for 20 mins.

Fry onion and add some five spice and ginger and a dash of orange.
Pour red wine and stock in and reduce to sticky consistency.

After the hour is up, plate the roast potatoes, carrots and carved duck. Add the porcini mushrooms on top and spoon over the sauce.

©2012 HEAD BLOG. All Rights Reserved.

It should be noted that didn’t follow Martin’s recipe to the letter. I only used one duck leg per person because I’m not a fat lad and I did my potatoes differently but it was still utterly delicious.

Especially the jus.

Ingredients (for 1):

• 1 large potatoes, sliced lengthways, about 1cm thick, keeping skin on
• 2 duck legs
• 1 large garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 3 spring onions, sliced finely
• Knob of butter
• 1/3 pint of stock (chicken or beef)
• Tbsp red wine vinegar or ½ glass of red wine
• 1 Tsps Marmite
• Green beans
• Smoked paprika
• Mild chilli powder

Cover the potato slices in oil and put on a baking tray in an oven pre-heated to 200.
At the same time, place the duck legs on a rack over another baking tray, baste with a little oil on top, season with pepper then place in middle of the oven.

Keep an eye on the potato slices and turn occasionally so they don’t stick to the tray.

After 30 minutes, heat up some oil in a saucepan and fry the spring onion and garlic until the garlic is bronzing (but not burning or it’ll taste bitter).
Add the butter and stock and continue to heat, add the red wine vinegar, Marmite and continue to reduce the mixture to a jus.

After 10 minutes, boil the green beans until just tender.

Once the potatoes and duck are cooked (about 50 minutes in total although you should remember to remove the potatoes sooner if they’re done), remove them.

Drain the green beans; put the potatoes in a bowl and dust with the smoked paprika and chilli powder.

To serve: Lay the green beans on a plate and place two duck legs on top, thin end of the bones pointing up and crossing each other. Arrange the potato slices on the side and drizzle the jus over everything.

©2012 HEAD BLOG. All Rights Reserved.