Crisp Roasted Ducklings

INGREDIENTS
2 ducklings (5 pounds each)
6 lemons
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup hot-pepper jelly

METHOD
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove necks and giblets from ducklings. Rinse ducklings thoroughly and drain well. Pat dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Remove excess fat; trim and discard neck skin.

2. Prick skin all over with a fork. Rub each duckling with juice of 1 lemon. Rub each duckling with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Cut remaining lemons into chunks and stuff into cavities of each duckling.

3. Place ducklings, breast-side-up, on a rack in roasting pan. Roast about 2 1/2 hours (30 minutes per pound). About halfway through cooking, prick ducklings again all over with a fork. Meanwhile, melt pepper jelly. With a brush, baste ducklings with melted jelly during last 20 minutes of cooking. Cover ducklings with aluminium foil and keep warm for up to 30 minutes before serving.

Cold duckling

INGREDIENTS
1/2 lump sugar
1 lemon
Dash of orange bitters
Chilled white Burgundy
Chilled champagne
Garnish: thin lemon slice

METHOD
Rub lump sugar on the lemon, impregnating the sugar thoroughly with the oil of the rind. Put the sugar in a chilled champagne coupe or champagne saucer glass. Add the orange bitters and half fill the glass with the white Burgundy. Stir to dissolve the sugar and then fill the glass with chilled champagne. Stir lightly and garnish with thin lemon slice.

Simple Roast Duckling

INGREDIENTS
1 (4-pound) cleaned domestic duckling (fresh or frozen and thawed)
1 1/2 tablespoons five-spice powder
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups rock salt
Fresh herbs such as thyme and parsley (optional)

METHOD
Preheat oven to 500°.
Remove giblets and neck from duckling; reserve for another use. Rinse duck under cold water; pat dry. Trim excess fat. Starting at neck cavity, loosen skin from breast and drumsticks by inserting fingers, and gently pushing your hand between the skin and meat.
Combine five-spice powder and 1 teaspoon salt. Sprinkle spice mixture under loosened skin; rub into the body cavity. Tie ends of legs together with cord. Lift wing tips up and over back; tuck under duckling.
Spread rock salt in bottom of a shallow roasting pan. Place the duckling, breast side up, on rock salt. Pierce skin several times with a meat fork. Insert a meat thermometer in- to meaty part of thigh, making sure not to touch bone. Bake at 500° for 45 minutes or until the thermometer reaches 180°. Cover duckling loosely with foil; let stand 10 minutes. Discard skin before serving. Garnish with fresh herbs, if desired.

Farmhouse Duckling with Orange and Passion Fruit Sauce

INGREDIENTS
Juice and zest of 1 orange
1 tsp cornflower
2 shallots, finely chopped
1 tbsp Waitrose Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 tbsp caster sugar
1 tbsp Waitrose White Wine Vinegar
125ml Waitrose Fino Sherry
2 Waitrose Farmhouse Duckling Boneless Breasts
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
Pinch ground allspice
Pinch of ground cinnamon
2 fresh passion fruit, flesh scooped out
1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

METHOD

1. Blend the orange juice with the cornflour.
2. In a small saucepan, soften the shallots in the oil. Add the sugar and vinegar and cook until the mixture caramelizes. Carefully add the sherry and reduce by half. Stir in the orange juice and zest. Simmer gently until the sauce thickens.
3. Heat a frying pan until hot then add the duck breasts skin side down. Cook for 5 minutes or until the skin browns.
4. Place skin side up in a small roasting tin and season with the salt, pepper, allspice and cinnamon. Cook in a preheated oven at 220ºC, gas mark 7 for 10-20 minutes, depending on how well done you like duck. Set aside and keep warm.
5. Skim the fat from the duck juices and add the juices to the orange sauce with the scooped out flesh of the passion fruits and the parsley. Adjust seasoning.
6. To serve, slice the duck and pour the sauce over the top.