Christmas Duck
Stuffing on left, duck at back, potatoes at front and garlic at right.
I was just going through the photos of the holiday down the coast ans looking for interesting images, as there is lots I have to post yet 
and I found this. Oh crap. I forgot to post the duck. I know that you are looking at that gruesome image up above and thinking “She is trying to tell me that is a duck?” or perhaps ” I don’t know what that is but it certainly isn’t edible” 
But actually, I think you perhaps should remember that it was Christmas day, I had 3 hours sleep, Kiri had come home (YAY) and LOTS of Champange was involved Well that explains why I failed to take a photo of the WHOLE duck, and perhaps considered that that mess was a good idea for a photo? But, that still does not deny the fact that the duck was Goood no great, fabulous more like it.
Because of how depressed I had been feeling I had been unable to get excited about my job of baking the duck, this is soooo unlike me. But amazingly (NOT) once Kiri came back, I became distracted and half forgot about my job as I was in smooch heaven. I then did alittle looking at cookbooks and decided to just choose a plan of attack and go with it. I am very glad I did.
The duck was amazingly simple, the stuffing was acouple of fresh apricots diced (could be left out but where nice), a few fresh apples diced, 200gms of prunes, pitted and soaked in a couple of tablesppons of brandy and a sprig of thyme. This was all mixed together and stuffed into the ducks cloaca which had been cleaned and seasoned with S&P. I sewed up the gap and S&P the outside of the duck and turned the wings backward and tied the thighs together with baking twine.
Meanwhile I had heated a baking dish up in a 200C oven. I remived the dish and browned the outside. I put the duck on a baking rack and baked it breast up for 1/2 hour. I then took the duck out, turned it and poured some of the fat into another dish to bake some potatoes. I poured in a cup of champange ( or any wine you like, I was feeling generous ) and basted the duck and put it back in the oven at 180 C. I then basted the duck when I thought of it, and turned it breast back up in another half hour. I continued to roast the duck, basting every so often for another 45 min. The duck should take between 1 1/2 to 2 hours to cook, but just keep an eye on it, the outside was glourisly browned.
I let the duck rest and drained off most of the fat ( too make more fabulous potatoes), I used the rest to make a simple gravy with alittle flour that I made a roux with the duck extracts and then used more Champange as the stock. The gravy was unbeleivably good.
So if you feel like something for Christmas, or anytime then I definately recommend this duck. YUMMY!
Oh and PLEASE roast some potatoes with alittle of the fat, some rosemary and garlic, they are too die for and will be so golden brown and crispy!