Name: Mallards with Sweet Onion Compote
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 4 fl oz (125 ml) red wine; 1 tablespoon (15 ml spoon) red wine vinegar; sea salt; 2 tablespoons (2 x 15 ml spoons) coarse-cut marmalade; 2 rounded teaspoons (2 x 5 ml rounded spoons) whole-seed mustard; ½ teaspoon (2.5 ml spoon) ground cloves; 2 teaspoons (2 x 5 ml spoons) paprika; olive oil; 1 oz (25 g) sultanas; sea salt, black pepper; 2 teaspoons (2 x 5 ml spoons) ground ginger; 2 oranges; 2 mallards, weighing about 1½-2 lb (750-1 kg) each; 1 tablespoon (15 ml spoon) dark soy sauce; 4 fl oz (125 ml) water; 1 oz (25 g) currants; salt; 1½ lb (750 g) small onions; 2 oz (50 g) butter; 1 tablespoon (15 ml spoon) olive oil; 2 oz (50 g) walnuts, chopped roughly; 2 teaspoons (2 x 5 ml spoons) bottled green peppercorns

Preparation info

Serves
6

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Cooking for Christmas

By Josceline Dimbleby

Published 1978

About

Mallard, or wild duck, are completely different from commercially bred ducks. They have much darker, gamier flesh and are less fatty. Although they are not an economical buy, I snap them up whenever I see them in shops because they taste so good. For a meal over the Christmas season when there aren’t too many of you, mallard make a real treat. I usually serve duck with brown rice and a crisp green vegetable; or for this dish a simple green salad is good.