Ingredients

Method

For the farce:
• 2 slices white bread, crusts removed
• ¼ cup cream
• 2 chicken breast fillets, cubed
• fresh nutmeg a pinch grated
• ½ t white pepper
• ½ t sea salt
• 1 whole duck, at room temperature
• sea salt, to taste
• 3 T maple syrup
• 100 g hazelnuts, chopped
For the peppercorn-and-sherry sauce:
• 2 T butter
• 1 T olive oil
• 1 shallot (or ½ onion), fi nely chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1⁄4 cup dry sherry
• 2 T Woolworths green peppercorns in brine, drained and lightly crushed, brine reserved
• 1 cup cream
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Method

Ingredients

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. To make the farce, soak the bread in the cream. Transfer to a food processor, add the remaining ingredients and process until smooth.You can do this in a few batches before combining in a bowl.

3. Season the duck with salt, and prick the skin all over with a fork to release the fat during cooking. Stuff the cavity with the farce. Wrap in 2 layersof greaseproof paper and place in a deep baking dish. Roast for 2 hours, then remove from the oven and carefully tear the paper to expose the top of the duck. Spoon over the maple syrup and return to the oven to roast for a further 30 minutes, until the skin is golden and crispy.

4. To make the sauce, heat the butter and olive oil in a frying pan overa medium heat, then gently fry the shallot until soft and translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute until fragrant. Add the sherry and flambé (optional) by tilting the pan towards the flame if you’re cooking on gas, or lighting the liquid in the pan with a match. Once the flames go out, add the peppercorns, 1 T brine and the cream, and simmer for 2 minutes. Season to taste and remove from the heat.

5. To serve, portion the duck into quarters, and arrange ona deep platter in a pool of sauce.

Cook's note: Reserve the duck fat to make killer roast potatoes.

Find more duck recipes here.

Photographs: Jan Ras
Production: Abigail Donnelly
Food Assistant: Lerato Motau