Roast leg of duck
I needed another easy one because I’m writing flat out for a deadline. I wrapped two duck legs in greased foil, first pricking the skin and smearing a teaspoon of honey over them. I put them in the oven for an hour and twenty-five minutes, with the foil opened for the last 20 minutes to get the top crisped. Meanwhile I peeled and cut into chunks a giant parsnip and par-boiled it for 8 minutes before putting the pieces in a baking dish, basted in goose-fat. They had an hour alongside the duck.
I par-boiled just enough potato to make some shallow-fried slices, and for the rest of the vegetables I cut up mangetout, purple onion and mushrooms, and sautéed them in a lidded pan with a little olive oil. My guest thought the meal excellent, but I found it a little greasy because duck tends to be very fatty. Perhaps I should have served it with steamed vegetables and mashed potatoes? That would have been easier still. Anyway, it was nice enough, and went down well with a Rioja rosé.