538. DUCK with MADEIRA, BACON and OLIVES

Yields 6 servings

1 13/16 kg duck
30 g butter
12 baby (about 300g) onions
1 bunch (about 20) baby carrots
300 g baby mushrooms
1 tablespoon madeira
1 tablespoon plain flour
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
30 g butter
1 medium (350g) leek, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
3 bacon rashers, chopped
150 g baby mushrooms, chopped
⅔ cup black olives, chopped
⅓ cup pine nuts, toasted
2 tablespoons brandy
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 cup (70g) stale breadcrumbs
BACON OLIVE SEASONING

Remove neck from duck, cut off wing tips at second joint. Cut through skin of duck along centre back. Using tip of knife, separate flesh from backbone on 1 side of duck, cutting through thigh joint, then, following the shape of the bones, gradually ease flesh away from bone. Holding rib cage away from duck, carefully cut the breast flesh away from the bone, cutting through wing joint. Hold up 1 thigh with 1 hand. To remove flesh, cut around top of bone, scrape down bone to next joint, cut around flesh again, scrape down to the end. Pull bone out and cut away. Repeat boning process with other half of duck. Turn flesh of thighs and wings inside duck. Place duck skin side down on board, spoon seasoning along centre of duck. Loosely roll duck to enclose filling, secure with toothpicks, tucking ends in neatly. Cover roll, refrigerate overnight. Heat butter in pan, add duck, cook until browned all over, transfer duck to baking dish. Add onions and carrots to pan, cook, stirring, until browned, remove from pan; reserve onion mixture. Cover duck, bake in moderately slow oven 1« hours. Add reserved onion mixture and mushrooms to baking dish, bake, uncovered, further 30 mins or until duck is tender. Remove duck and vegetables from dish; keep warm. Strain liquid from dish, skim away fat, add enough water to dish to make 1 cup of liquid. Place liquid in pan, add madeira, blended flour and water and parsley, stir over heat until sauce boils and thickens. Serve sauce with duck and vegetable mixture.

Bacon Olive Seasoning: Heat butter in pan, add leek, garlic and bacon, stirring, until leek is soft, remove from heat, add remaining ingredients; mix well.


courtesy of: Sue Rykmans, New York, New York