Spatchcocked wild duck with honey marmalade glaze

Serves 6 Starters and mains

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Method

First, spatchcock your mallards. Turn breast-side down and you will see the backbone underneath the skin on the base, finishing with a small parson's nose. Take a pair of kitchen scissors and cut along one side of the backbone. Cut along the other side to remove the backbone completely. Turn the bird over, breast side up, and open out. Press down hard on the breastbone until you hear a crack and the bird flattens out. To keep it flattened, insert a metal skewer through a drumstick then through the main carcass and through the other drumstick. Repeat with the other birds. Season.

Make 3 woven ‘rafts’ of bacon using 8 rashers per bird, as if making a woven lattice pastry top. This is easier if the bacon is very cold. Lay a bacon raft over each bird to keep it moist and basted during cooking, as they have little fat of their own. Line a large grill pan with foil and set the birds on top. (They can be refrigerated overnight like this, covered with cling film. Bring them to room temperature before cooking).

Mix the glaze ingredients together then cut the oranges into thinnish slices.

When ready to cook, heat the grill to medium. Place the birds under the grill on a shelf that is not too close to the heat. Grill for 12-15 minutes depending on how you like your game cooked.

Now remove the bacon (set aside for later) and brush with the glaze, keeping enough for the orange slices later. Put back in the oven on a higher shelf and grill for 1-2 minutes until bubbling and caramelised. Remove to a warm serving platter and wrap loosely with foil to rest and keep warm while you grill the oranges. Lay the orange slices on the grill pan the birds were cooked on and brush with the remaining glaze. Put under the grill for 2-3 minutes until just catching and bubbling.

Remove the skewers and cut each rested bird in two. Serve each half with some of the reserved crisp bacon rashers, orange slices, watercress and any pan juices collected from the platter and grill pan. Delicious served with chestnut gnocchi.