Serves: 4
Difficulty: Easy
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour
Chef Trish Deseine, who hails from Ireland originally but has made her home in France, shares her recipe for this springtime dish of succulent duckling and sweet spring vegetables. It would make a lovely change from the usual Sunday roast – or a fabulous Easter dinner.
Ingredients
- 3-4 tablespoons olive oil
- 50g butter
- 2 onions, finely chopped
- 100g slab bacon, cut into small batons (lardons)
- 1 Barbary (Muscovy) duckling
- Thyme sprigs
- Bay leaf
- Zest and juice of 1 unwaxed lemon
- Assorted spring vegetables (baby turnips, peas, asparagus, baby carrots, etc.)
- Salt, pepper
Directions
1Preheat the oven to 180°C / Gas Mark 4.
2Heat the oil and butter in a large, cast iron casserole and fry the onions and lardons. Add the duckling and cook until golden on all sides.
3Add a splash of water, a few thyme sprigs, the bay leaf, grated zest and juice of the lemon, and some salt and pepper. Cover and cook in the oven for about 1 hour.
4Remove the casserole from the oven and transfer the duckling to a platter. Cover with aluminium foil.
5Meanwhile, steam the vegetables.
6Deglaze the casserole with a little water and set over a medium heat. Pour the cooking juices through a strainer and adjust the seasoning, if necessary. Serve the duckling and vegetables with the cooking juices.
7Enjoy with Crozes-Hermitage.
IMAGE © DEIRDRE ROONEY
First printed in our sister publication France Today
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