Mahogany duck

serves 4
ingredients
2 ducks
2 slices white bread
2 spring onions
750ml/11⁄4pt beer
For the marinade
50ml/2fl oz Scotch whisky
3 tablespoons grated fresh
root ginger
11⁄2 teaspoons chopped garlic
2 tablespoons grated orange zest
1 teaspoon crushed
coriander seeds
1 teaspoon crushed black
peppercorns
175ml/6fl oz light soy sauce
2 tablespoons clear honey
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
For the sauce
375ml/13fl oz beef stock
2 teaspoons arrowroot dissolved in
3 tablespoons cold water

• Rinse the ducks, then pat dry with kitchen paper and remove any excess
fat from the body cavities. Truss the ducks and arrange them, breast side
up, several inches apart on a rack set over a large roasting tin.
• Combine all the marinade ingredients in a bowl. Leave to stand, covered
and chilled, for 3 hours. Stir the marinade, and press through a fine sieve
into a small bowl. Brush the ducks with some of the marinade, every
30 minutes, for 21⁄2 hours, while keeping them refrigerated.
• Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4.
• Stuff each duck with 1 bread slice and 1 spring onion. Spoon any
remaining marinade into the cavities. Prick the ducks, except for the breast
area, with a fork.
• Pour the beer into the roasting tin. Roast the ducks on the rack in the lower
third of the oven for 30 minutes, then tent them with foil and roast for a
further 30 minutes. Discard the foil and roast for another 30 minutes.
• Remove the stuffing ingredients with a spoon, and discard them and the
pan juices. Pour the juices from the cavities through a fine sieve into a
small bowl. Skim off the fat and reserve 50ml/2fl oz of the juices. Arrange
the ducks on a platter and keep warm.
• In a saucepan, bring the stock to the boil, simmer for 15 minutes and stir in
the reserved juices. Bring the mixture to a simmer. Stir the arrowroot
mixture and add to the pan. Cook the mixture over medium-low heat,
being careful not to boil, until thickened. Serve the duck with the sauce.