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Duck with Apricot Stuffing HT MC 190mins Serve 4 Hot Poultry Game Pork Fruit Main Course
Ingredients 1 x 2.2kg/5lb Oven-ready Duck Salt and Pepper Other ingredients 2 tbsp Runny Honey 1 tbsp Soy Sauce 150ml/5 fl.oz Stock 6 tbsp Port 2 tbsp Cornflour For the stuffing 4 tbsp Olive Oil 2 Rashers Lean Bacon, chopped 1 Onion, chopped 350g/12oz Bread, crusts removed and cubed 225g/8oz Dried Apricots, chopped Nutmeg 50g/2oz Melted Butter 1 Egg, beaten
Instructions
1. Rinse the duck inside and out with cold water. Pat dry, then sprinkle the body and cavity liberally with salt and pepper. Heat the oven to 170C, 325F, Gas mark 3.
2. Make the stuffing by heating half the oil in a frying-pan. Add the bacon and onion and sauté until the onion is transparent. Transfer from the pan with a slotted spoon to a large mixing bowl.
3. Fry the bread cubes in the remaining oil until golden, then add to the onion mixture together with the apricots and nutmeg and mix well.
4. Beat together the melted butter and egg and stir into the stuffing mixture with salt and pepper to taste.
5. Loosely pack the stuffing into the neck and body cavity of the duck through the tail end. Fold the neck skin over the opening and secure to the back with a skewer. Truss the duck and lightly prick the skin all over with a fork to encourage the fat to run out.
6. Place the duck on a rack in a roasting tin and pour over the stock. Roast for 2 hours, frequently pouring off excess fat.
7. Blend together the honey, soy sauce and 1 tbsp of the pan juices. Increase the oven temperature to 200C, 40OF, Gas mark 6 and brush the duck with the honey glaze. Roast for a further 30-60 minutes, basting the duck occasionally, until the juices run clear when the duck is pierced. Remove the trussings from the cooked duck, transfer to a warmed serving dish and keep warm.
6. Pour off all but 150ml/5 fl.oz. of the drippings in the roasting tin. Stir the port into the reserved juices. Blend the cornflour with 60ml/2 fl.oz. of this water and stir into the sauce. Bring the sauce to the boil, reduce heat and simmer, stirring, until thickened.
7. To serve - strain the sauce and pour over the duck.
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