Recipe: Duck Pie

METHOD

PREPARATION AND ROASTING OF WHOLE DUCK

• Remove from packing, rub dry with kitchen towel and season to taste with Chinese five-spice.
• Prick skin with skewer on fatty areas (legs and breast) and place breast side up on a roasting rack in a preheated oven at 180°C.
• Roast for 80 minutes, increase temperature to 200°C for a further 10 minutes. Remove from oven and rest for 10 minutes before carving.

PREPARATION AND COOKING OF STUFFING

• Soak the dried diced apple and apricots in water for 10 minutes and strain – set aside for later use.
• Peel and finely grate the potatoes and set aside.
• Sauté diced onions in rendered duck fat with salt and pepper.
• Turn down pan heat.
• Add potato and 50ml water to the onions - simmer until all the water has evaporated.
• Decant in a mixing bowl, add the pitted cherries, 2 cups of pulled Chinese five-spiced duck meat, thyme and soya sauce – mix well.

FILLING AND FORMING OF THE PIE

• Preheat the oven to 190°C.
• Neatly flatten the pastry sheet and decant stuffing in middle.
• Fold the sides of pastry over each other on all four sides to secure stuffing, shaping the pie to the size of your oven dish.
• Flip over and place in the oven dish.
• Glaze the top of the pastry with beaten egg.
• Cook for 60 minutes.
• Remove from the oven and rest the pie for 10 minutes before serving.

TIP: The left over pulled duck meat is perfect for use in salads and sandwiches!