Duck Stuffed With Chicken Liver Candied Orange And Pears Food

DUCK STUFFED WITH CHICKEN LIVER, CANDIED ORANGE, AND PEARS

Steps:

• Combine sugar and 2 2/3 cups water in heavy medium saucepan. Bring to simmer, stirring until sugar dissolves. Add orange slices and boil gently until orange peels are almost translucent, about 30 minutes. Drain. Place orange slices on rack set over plate and let drain another 30 minutes. Cut slices into 1/2-inch dice. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate.)
• Heat 4 tablespoons oil in large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken livers, sage, and garlic; sauté until livers are browned but still slightly pink inside, about 9 minutes. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Cut chicken livers into 1/2-inch dice; return to skillet. Mix in pears and diced candied oranges. Season stuffing to taste with salt and pepper.
• Preheat oven to 400°F. Boil wine in small saucepan for 3 minutes to allow alcohol to cook away; set aside. Sprinkle duck cavities with salt and pepper. Fill cavities with liver stuffing, dividing equally. Close cavity openings with small metal skewers. Place ducks in large roasting pan. Brush ducks with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast ducks 20 minutes. Pour wine into roasting pan. Brush ducks with honey. Continue to roast until ducks are cooked through and juices run clear when thickest part of thigh is pierced with fork, about 1 hour 10 minutes longer. Transfer ducks to platter. Spoon fat off top of pan juices and discard. Pour pan juices into small bowl; season with salt and pepper. Serve ducks and stuffing with pan juices.

ORANGE-STUFFED CHRISTMAS DUCK

Steps:

• Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Put the duck on a rack set over a roasting tin and prick the skin all over with a skewer. Season well. Halve one of the oranges and squeeze some of the juice into the duck cavity and the tin, then stuff the cavity with both of the halves. Pour 100ml water into the tin and roast for 20 mins per 500g (about 50 mins). Turn the oven up to 220C/200C fan/ gas 7 and roast for another 20 mins until the duck skin is crispy and golden.
• Put a small pan of water on to boil. Using a peeler, pare the zest from the remaining orange. Scrape any pith off the zest using a small, sharp knife. Add the zest to the water and gently boil for 8-10 mins, then drain, slice thinly into strips and set aside. In the same pan, dissolve the brown sugar with the balsamic vinegar. Cut the pared orange in half, juice it and pour the juice into the pan. Add the Grand Marnier and 1 tsp butter. Bubble until it has reduced by half and is dark and syrupy. Remove from the heat and stir in the orange zest.
• Once the duck is cooked, wrap it in foil to keep warm and put it on a board to rest. Spoon off the fat from the roasting tin and discard. Pour any remaining duck juices into a wide, shallow saucepan. Tip in the stock and bring to the boil. Add the wine and simmer for 2-3 mins, then add half the orange sauce and stir well. In a small bowl, mix the cornflour with 2 tsp cold water, then stir into the gravy. Season, add 1 tsp butter and whisk together. Pour into a warm gravy jug.
• To serve, brush the remaining sticky orange glaze over the duck, then put the duck on a board and garnish with the watercress. Heat a frying pan over a medium heat and add 1 tsp butter. Once the butter has melted, tip in the spinach and cook for 1-2 mins until it has wilted. Season and tip into a warm serving dish.

VELVETY DUCK LIVER PARFAIT

Steps:

• Cut away and discard any large sinews from the livers, then set the livers aside. Heat about a third of the butter in a large frying pan, then gently fry the shallots and garlic for 3-4 mins unti l soft. Turn up the heat, add the livers, then fry until just browned on all sides. Add the brandy and port, boil down as quickly as possible - if the sauce catches light for an instant, then all the better. Remove the pan from the heat and leave to cool completely.
• Season the livers generously, then tip the contents of the pan into a food processor with the tomato purée and remaining butter, and blitz until smooth. Push the mixture through a fine sieve into a bowl, taste for seasoning, then tip into a serving dish, banging the dish down on the tabletop to smooth out the surface. Place in the fridge to set.
• Once the mixture has set, make the topping. Gently melt the butter in a small pan or in a bowl in the microwave, then leave for a min to settle and separate. Pour the yellow butter that has risen to the top into another bowl and discard the milky liquid. Leave the yellow butter to cool slightly, then mix in the thyme and peppercorns. Pour the mixture over the parfait and leave to set in the fridge. Serve with plenty of toast, sliced gherkins and chutney. Will keep for 2 days in the fridge.