Duck with Pastis and Honey

I bought a French farmer duck.

I checked my handwritten recipe book and found out that I´ve made that recipe the last time on the 28th of March 2013.

Now it is time to prepare it again. The preptime at the beginning is pretty small, the most time the duck needs in the oven. But you have to be around, because it needs its brushing with Pastis and honey every 10 to 15 minutes. That is the time your kitchen will start smelling awesome and a bit smokey.

I served it with a cauliflower and potato mash,

recipe:
1,7 kg  free range duck

1 whole apple
5 shallots
5 big cloves of garlic
1 sprig of sage
1 sprig of rosemary
some pimpinelle
100 ml Pastis
2 tbsp honey
chicken seasoning

1/4 cauliflower
3 large potatoes
3 tbsp creme fraiche
1 tbsp butter
nutmeg, salt and pepper
the squeezed out middle of the roasted shallots and garlic

Heat up the oven 200 C fan.
Wash the duck and take off the fat that is hanging around. Dry and put salt and pepper in the cavity. Rub the duck outside with chicken seasoning.
Wash the apple, but don ´t peel it.
Peel shallots and garlic. Fill the herbs and 2 shallots and 2 huge garlic cloves into the duck and close it with the apple. Hold the apple in place with 2 toothpicks.
Mix Pastis with honey and brush the duck with it.

Bake in the oven  for 45 min, breast side down. Brush regularly with the Pastis honey mix.
Turn the heat down to 170 C fan and turn the duck. Brush again and cook for 30 min.
Check it the juices run clear.
Let the duck rest for 10 min.


Cook potoatoes and cauliflower together, drain mash and add butter, creme fraiche and spices and the roasted veg.