Duck Poached in Tea        HT  MC   160mins

Serves 4    Hot   Poultry  Game   Apples  Main course  Dairy Gluten Wheat Free

Ingredients

1 x 2.4kg/5lb Duck

1 Onion, chopped

1 Lemon

4 tbsp Earl Grey Tea

3 tbsp Honey

Vegetable oil

2 Garlic Cloves, finely chopped

Salt and Black Pepper

1 Large Apple, peeled, cored and chopped

2 teasp Red Wine Vinegar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 200C, 400F, Gas mark 6. Wash the duck, then sprinkle its body cavity with l teaspoon salt and put in the onion. Pierce holes in the lemon with a skewer and use it as a stopper to keep the onion in. Place the duck, breast down, in an oval casserole dish.

2. Put the tea in a measuring jug and pour in 1 pint of boiling water. Stir and leave for 3 minutes. Strain tea into casserole dish. Then pour another pint of boiling water on to used tea leaves; leave again for a few minutes, then strain over the duck.

3. Dissolved the honey in a glass of hot water then add to the casserole. The duck should be almost covered with liquid. Cover and cook for 1 hour. 

4. Carefully lift the duck from the juices and place it, breast side up, on a rack over a roasting tin. Set aside. Drain the juices through a fine sieve into a bowl and leave to cool until the fat can be skimmed off. Pour the remaining liquid into a large saucepan. Reheat the oven to 240C, 475F, Gas mark 9.

5. Rub the duck with the oil, crushed garlic and about 1 teaspoon of salt. Roast at the top of the oven for 40 minutes, basting once or twice.

6. Meanwhile, boil the reserved juices rapidly until the liquid is very much reduced and looking dark and syrupy - this may take anywhere between 15 and 25 minutes. Remove from the heat and season with salt and black pepper.

7. Stir the chopped apples into the juices. Return pan to the heat and boil a further 2-3 minutes. Remove the from the heat and stir in the vinegar. Pour into a sauceboat and serve with the duck.

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