Roast Duck with Autumn Apples

Traditionally a fatty meat suited to roasting duck is one of the flagship meats of the autumn season as it’s both filling and seasonally wholesome. So here’s a recipe that goes especially well with another of the season’s offerings, red apples.
The Ingredients

1 Duckling
½ lb seasonal apples
3 oz orange juice
2 pints dark (good beef brown stock)
1 oz clarified butter
1 oz sugar
Red wine vinegar
Lemon juice
Orange and lemon zest
Salt and pepper for seasoning
The method

1.  Prepare the ducklings and then season them well with salt and pepper. Place orange zest inside the cavity for taste and then truss up to close

2.  In a roasting pan, lightly brown the duckling, then transfer and finish in an oven set to 220°C degrees until the skin is crispy and brown.

3.  Bring the red wine vinegar and sugar to a boil over high heat. Keep an eye on this and cook until it begins to turn a light brown colour. Add the orange and lemon juices and reduce before adding a good portion of brown stock. Heat to a boil and add the lemon and orange zests for flavour.

4.  Discard the fat from the cooked duckling and then place on low heat with a separate portion of brown stock until a glaze begins to form.
Thinly slice the apples and sauté them in the clarified butter, sprinkling with sugar to ensure that they properly caramelize.

5.  Now the fun bit - carve the duck and arrange creatively on a plate with the caramelized apple slices. Spoon the sauce over and serve immediately for a hearty September Autumnal treat.