Ballottine of duck with cumberland sauce as served near Chipping Norton

The ballottine of duck quickly became my favourite dish to cook. Luckily it also seems to be everyone's favourite dish to order - I cooked and served it on two consecutive evenings this week first in Enstone between Chipping Norton and Woodstock, Oxfordshire on Wednesday, then in Bourton on the Water (The Venice of the Cotswolds) on Thursday where I will be cooking on Christmas Day too.
This (left) is the bistro version with grilled vegetables and new potatoes in chive butter.

The duck came from Madgetts Farm via Home Farm which cuts down my food miles even more, and along with the duck from the Smallholding in Chadbury is the best duck you will ever taste. You just couldn't get the same results with a supermarket bird. And the smell of it roasting always gets the guests in the mood for food.

For the Cumberland sauce once you have boned the duck you roast the bones and make a duck stock (same way as the chicken stock for the coq au vin - more info there). I take that to the venue and then finish it there with port (plenty of), julienne of orange and lemon that has been brought to the boil 3 times (removes the bitterness), the juice of the orange & lemon, julienne of fresh ginger, redcurrant jelly, and at the last minute, the best part - the roasting juices from the duck when is has been cooked and rested.

P.S.

I almost posted photos of my new 'interesting' shaped hen party bread rolls the other night, but stopped myself just in time while I still had a bit of credibility. But if you're planning a hen party they're available! There's another stag party shape too......



Related posts:

What does ballottine mean / How to bone chicken & duck
How to bone a turkey
1001 Kitchen Tips # 49 - Chicken and duck stock - save the livers