Gressingham Foods shares some festive cooking tips and tasty whole duck recipes – perfect for December’s numerous celebrations.
Forget 12 days of Christmas, roast Gressingham duck is a delicious alternative any day of the yuletide calendar – be it Christmas Day, Boxing Day or New Year. It’s perfect for anyone looking for something special and different – and makes a delicious centrepiece to any festive celebration.
Gressingham whole duck (available in all major UK retailers and direct at Gressingham’s website – www.gressinghamfoods.co.uk) is packed full of flavour, easy to carve and feeds up to four guests. Its moist, juicy and flavoursome meat is delicious roasted thanks to the Gressingham breed’s high quantity of succulent breast meat and lower fat content.
December is a month for celebrating, partying and indulging – making it the busiest month in the social calendar. To save you time searching for the perfect recipe, Gressingham has shared one of its tastiest and festive whole duck recipes below. Gressingham Whole Duck with Cointreau, Rosemary and Caramelised Orange compliments the rich flavour of the unique Gressingham breed, is oh so simple to prepare and ideal served with all the traditional Christmas trimmings.
RECIPE
Gressingham Whole Duck with Cointreau, Rosemary and Caramelised Orange
(Serves 3 to 4)
Ingredients
1 Gressingham whole duck, weighing 1.8kg
200g sugar
Juice of 1 orange
3 tbsp Cointreau
1 small onion, peeled
5 large sprigs of fresh rosemary
1 small orange, cut into slices
150ml duck or chicken stock
Salt
Method
Preheat oven to 220°C/Gas mark 7. Place the sugar, orange juice and 2 tbsp Cointreau in a heavy based pan on a low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Bring to the boil and simmer for five minutes or until syrupy.
Prick the skin of the duck and place the onion and one sprig of rosemary in the cavity. Sit the duck on a rack in a roasting tin containing 150ml water. Roast for 20 minutes.
Remove the duck from the oven, brush with some of the orange sugar syrup and sprinkle with salt. Roast for a further 30 minutes. Brush with more syrup and roast for a further 30 minutes, lowering setting to 200°C/Gas mark 6.
Dip the orange slices in the remaining syrup and lay on the duck with the rosemary. Brush all over with syrup and roast for a final 30 minutes or until the duck is cooked.
Transfer to a platter, cover loosely and rest in a warm place for 15 minutes. Pour off any fat from the roasting tin and place over a medium heat. Add stock and 1 tbsp Cointreau, stirring to deglaze. Add any remaining syrup and heat through. Serve with the duck.
A family business founded in 1971, Gressingham Foods – based in the heart of East Anglia – is the exclusive breeder of the famous Gressingham Duck. For those new to cooking duck, and to show it can be cooked with simplicity and ease, watch Gressingham’s helpful video tutorials on its website, presented by Gressingham’s in-house chef Vernon Blackmore. Just visit www.gressinghamfoods.co.uk/videos and watch how cooking and carving roast duck is foolproof – and easier than you think. To ensure Christmas Day is enjoyable and stress-free, follow Gressingham’s top tips on Christmas Day cooking success below.
Top tips for a stress-free Christmas dinner:
- Pre-order your duck to avoid missing out on the bird of your choice consider doing your grocery shop on the internet, allowing a few days in case you forget anything
- Buy online from Gressingham’s website, which features many of Gressingham’s classic duck and speciality poultry products that can all be delivered straight to your door
- Plan your meal well in advance
- Gressingham Duck’s versatility makes it ideal for the home cook and, to help you enjoy duck in all its guises, Gressingham has developed some great whole duck recipes – all available on Gressingham’s website. For a truly delicious meal try Christmas Roast Gressingham Duck with Honey and Rosemary Jus and Roast Potatoes
- Write a timetable so that everything runs like clockwork
- Prepare the vegetables and lay the table on Christmas Eve.
For more whole duck inspiration and recipes, stockists and to buy online visit www.gressinghamfoods.co.uk.
(EDITOR: And DO remember to use the duck fat to cook your roast potatoes in! By the way, based on taste alone, we at That's Christmas firmly believe that Gressingham ducks are going to be the next Big Thing for Christmas, so please remember to get your orders in early!)
FACTFILE:
Gressingham Foods is celebrating its 40th birthday this year.
A family business founded in 1971, Gressingham Foods is the only company in the world licensed to produce Gressingham Duck, a unique cross-breed of wild Mallard and Pekin renowned for its superior taste and higher percentage of breast meat. Having built on the success of the Gressingham Duck, the company has extended its product portfolio to include other duck breeds, geese and poultry as well as speciality meats and ready meals under the Gressingham Foods name. As a result, Gressingham Foods and Duck are sold by a number of the UK’s leading retailers and independent stockists, in addition to featuring on the menus of top restaurants nationwide.