Title: DUCK WITH CHESTNUTS
Categories: Poultry
Yield: 4 servings
Stephen Ceideburg
1 lg Duck
1/2 kg Chestnuts
2 lg Oranges
This dish, Spanish in origin, is rich in flavour and
well worth the effort.
Well beforehand, disjoint a large duck by cutting it
into 2 breast pieces and 4 leg and thigh pieces. Use
the back, neck and wings to make a good strong stock.
Remove the excess fat and render for use another day.
Parboil and peel 1/2 kg chestnuts.
Heat a large, dry frying pan to very hot and saute the
duck pieces until golden on all sides. Pour off all
but 1 tablespoon of the fat which will have
accumulated in the pan and gently fry a finely chopped
large onion. When it is golden, add the zest and juice
of 2 large oranges and stir to deglaze the pan.
Put the duck legs into a large saucepan, pour the
orange- onion mixture over them and add enough duck
stock to cover and several sprigs of thyme. Simmer for
30 minutes. Then add the duck breasts and chestnuts
and, if necessary, more stock to cover and cook for 20
minutes longer or until fork-tender.
Remove the duck and chestnuts to a serving dish and
keep warm while boiling the sauce hard to reduce until
syrupy. Add a tablespoon of red currant jelly, adjust
the seasoning and pour the sauce over the duck and
chestnuts. Serve.
Posted by Stephen Ceideburg
From an article by Meryl Constance in The Sydney
Morning Herald, 5/4/93. Courtesy Mark Herron.
