Three-bird roast of Gressingham duck, pheasant and wood pigeon

Serves 8-10 Starters and mains

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Method

To make the stuffing, simmer the clementines whole in boiling water for around 30 minutes until completely soft. Drain, cool then roughly purée in a food processor. Melt the butter and, when foaming, fry the onions and garlic until golden and soft but not brown. Add the mushrooms and herbs and cook over a medium heat with the onions for 4-5 minutes, until all the moisture has evaporated. Stir in the cranberries, tip into a bowl and leave to cool.

When cold, stir in the egg, yolk, brandy, clementine purée, minced pork belly and gammon and breadcrumbs. Season really well and work the stuffing together with your hands until evenly mixed. Cover and chill.

To assemble the three-bird roast, divide the stuffing into 3 portions (roll the rest into balls, if you're making extra). Season the pheasant and pigeon breasts. Take a third of the stuffing and pat it out thinly down the middle of the breast of the boned duck, leaving enough to fold over – you are simply replacing the ribcage. Lay the pheasant breasts on top of the stuffing – halving lengthways to fit, if necessary. Take a further third of the stuffing and pat it over the pheasant to thinly cover, then arrange the pigeon breasts on top of this stuffing layer, trimming to fit if necessary. Finally, pat the remaining stuffing over the pigeon.

Bring the side flaps of the duck up and over to enclose the filling then, using fine butcher's string and a large darning needle, sew with big stitches, tucking in both ends to neaten it (the duck shouldn’t be too tightly stuffed, but firm). Turn the bird over right way up and plump it up a bit to shape and tie. Weigh the duck and make a note of the weight. Wrap and chill the bird for up to 24 hours, bringing it to room temperature before roasting.

Preheat the oven to 200C/ 400F/Gas 6. Take a deep roasting pan, and scatter the roasting vegetables in an even layer to form a base for the bird. Scatter over the herb sprigs, then season well. Prick the bird lightly in a few places to encourage the fat to escape, then set the bird on top. The vegetables and herbs will caramelise and make a delicious base for the gravy. Pour over the wine, then season generously. Calculate the cooking time, allowing 20 minutes per 450g plus 20 minutes extra. Roast the bird until cooked (a digital cook's thermometer should read at least 68C/154F when inserted into the middle). For a festive appearance, make a lattice from the pancetta or bacon and drape over the bird 30 minutes before the end
of the cooking time.

Remove the roast from the tin onto a dish, loosely cover with foil and leave to rest somewhere warm for 30 minutes. (Alternatively, wrap the whole thing in a large clean bath towel and it will keep beautifully warm while it rests.) If making extra stuffing balls, lower the heat to 180C/350F/Gas 4 and bake for 30 minutes.

To make the gravy. Pour off the duck fat that will have gathered in the tin (keep this to roast potatoes in). Place the tin over a low heat, scatter over the flour and cook, stirring and scraping until light brown. Pour in the stock, stirring well. Simmer until you have a smooth, thickened gravy, adding any resting juices from the roast. Season to taste, then strain the gravy through a sieve into another saucepan, pressing well to force all the liquid through. Keep warm. When rested, remove the string from the roast, carve into thick slices and serve.