Food shows seem to come and go with regularly uniformity, though John’s Race’s adventures in France I found inspiring. My time in France has been limited to only the Champagne and Burgundy areas, so his book “French Leave” is an assessment of surviving the seasons with gusto. I have adapted this recipe, and the crepes from his book for us to enjoy using local ingredients. I have added a sage stuffing as it will cut through the richness of the meat.

Ingredients

• 2 kg duck
• 1½ cups pinot noir
• 2 cups water
• 1½ cups pitted prunes
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 garlic clove, crushed and peeled
• ¼ cup orange liqueur
• 1 tblsp clover honey

Sage and Walnut Stuffing

• 1 onion, peeled and finely chopped
• 1 stalk celery, finely diced
• ½ tsp minced garlic
• 25 grams butter
• ½ cup walnuts, roughly chopped
• grated rind one orange
• 2 tblsp chopped fresh sage
• 2 cups fresh wholemeal breadcrumbs
• 1 egg, beaten

Method

1. Make the stuffing and allow to cool. Wash the duck well and pat dry inside.
2. Score the surface of the duck in a diamond pattern with a sharp knife. Remove the wing tips and neck, reserve. Fill the cavity with the sage and walnut stuffing and secure with a small skewer, tie the legs together with string.
3. Place breast side up on a rack in a 200ºC oven for 25 minutes. Reduce the temperature to 160ºC for 1½ hours. While the duck is cooking make the glaze and sauce.
4. Brown the duck neck and wing pieces in a hot deep frying pan with a dash of oil until golden. Add the red wine, water, 1 cup of the prunes, bay leaf and garlic and bring to the boil then reduce the heat and simmer for 1 hour. Increase the heat and boil rapidly until reduced by half. Strain through a sieve. Strain the fat off the duck.
5. In a separate saucepan, heat the orange liqueur with ¼ cup of the reduced wine and duck stock, the remaining prunes and the honey. Heat until the mixture becomes thick and the prunes are glazed and sticky. Brush the glaze over the duck and return to the oven at 160°C for a further 10-15 minutes. Combine the glazed prunes with the remaining reduced wine and duck stock and heat gently. Season with white pepper and salt.

Sage and Walnut Stuffing

1. Gently cook the onion, celery and garlic in butter until soft, but not brown. Increase the heat and cook the walnuts, stirring continuously for 2-3 minutes. Combine with the orange rind, sage, breadcrumbs and egg and mix well.

Cooks Tips

Fresh ducks are available from good supermarkets or butchers. If defrosting a frozen duck, do so in the refrigerator and allow 2 days. Place the duck on an absorbent paper-lined plate and place on the bottom shelf of the fridge. Use only about three-quarters of the stuffing and roll the remaining amount into balls. Add these to the roasting pan in the last 15 minutes to accompany the duck with the prune sauce.