Method

1. Prick the fatty skin all over with a fork. This helps the fat to render out during the roasting process. Remove the neck, wishbone and wings and chop all the duck trimmings except the liver. Brown the trimmings in a pan with the roughly chopped carrot and onion and continue to brown. Pour off any excess fat and add the brown stock. Simmer for a minimum of 15 minutes, strain, discard the solids, and degrease. Reduce liquid until desired consistency and reserve.

2. Rub the ducks with salt, pepper and a little oil. Place in an appropriately sized roasting pan and into a preheated oven at 230°C. Roast for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 200°C, and continue to roast, basting every 10 minutes with the pan drippings. This will take approximately 1 hour 30 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, prepare the gastrique by placing the vinegar and sugar into a small saucepan and caramelising lightly. Add a little cold water to stop the cooking. Set aside. Zest the orange, and blanch the zest in simmering water for 4 minutes. Drain and soak in orange liqueur. Segment all the oranges, reserving any extra orange juice. To make the finished sauce, according to taste, add the gastrique, zest, orange liqueur and orange juice to the reserved sauce and simmer briefly to marry the flavours.

4. When the juices of the duck run clear, remove it from the pan and allow to rest for 15 minutes. To serve, carve the slightly pink breast and garnish with the reserved orange segments and sauce. Dauphinoise potatoes are a good accompaniment to this dish.

Ingredients

1 whole duck

20ml oil

50g carrots, roughly chopped

50g onions, roughly chopped

500ml brown stock

2 oranges

15ml orange liqueur

180g sugar

120ml white wine vinegar

CITY of Glasgow College chefs Aileen McMonagle, Gary Maclean, Kenneth Hett and John Mair have devised a traditional turkey dinner... and three new twists for the big day

Ingredients

4 steaks of your choice (fillet, sirloin or rib-eye)

50g butter

1 onion, finely chopped

10 crushed peppercorns

50ml brandy (optional)

1 cup beef stock

500ml double cream

Salt and pepper to taste

Parsley, finely chopped

METHOD

PEPPER SAUCE:

1. Melt the butter in a small frying pan, gently cook the onion without colouring and add the peppercorns.

2. Deglaze the pan with the brandy and add beef stock.

3. Add the cream and bring to the boil. Gently simmer for 10 minutes until sauce thickens.

4. Check seasoning and correct if required and finish off with finely chopped parsley

5. Serve with steak and enjoy!

steak:

1. Pre-heat a frying pan until just smoking hot.

2. Season the steak well with salt and pepper just before cooking (any earlier and the salt will draw out the steak's natural juices).

3. Place the steak in the pan and add a small knob of butter

4. Cook the steak as preferred (rare, medium or well-done) and serve with french fries and a chilled pat of butter mixed with parsley and the sauce.

INGREDIENTS

1kg salmon fillet, skinned

25g butter

1 small onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, chopped

150g button mushrooms, sliced

250g long-grain rice

1 vegetable stock cube

400ml water

3 eggs

4 spring onions, chopped

Sprig fresh tarragon or ½tsp dried

1kg puff pastry (defrosted)

Juice of half a lemon

Salt and pepper for seasoning

METHOD

1. Prepare the rice first. Melt the butter and add the onion, garlic and mushrooms and sweat for a few minutes until soft.

2. Add the rice and coat with the butter, add the stock cube, a pinch of salt, lemon juice and water.

3. Bring to the boil and simmer with a tight-fitting lid for 15 minutes.

4. The rice should be cooked and all stock absorbed. Take off the heat and cool.

5. Boil two eggs by plunging into boiling water for 9 minutes. Run under cold water to cool, peel and grate and add to the rice.

6. Chop the spring onions and add to the rice with the tarragon. Taste and season if necessary.

7. Roll out puff pastry to at least double the size of the salmon.

8. Spread the rice mixture over the pastry, season the salmon and place it on top.

9. Fold the pastry over and seal the edges by brushing with the remaining beaten egg.

10. Brush egg on to the outside of the pastry and move to a baking tray.

11. Place in a hot oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

12. Remove from the oven and carve into large slices.

Serve with Jersey Royal potatoes and beetroot salad.

INGREDIENTS

1 x 5kg turkey

Method

Remove legs and bone out (reserve bones for stock).

Remove any sinew or tendons.

Place in stuffing (see below) and roll up. Wrap in clingfilm and then in tin foil.

Remove supremes from crown (reserving bones for stock) and season well, then sear in hot oil, skin side first.

Cooking time for breasts are 25 minutes for 500g plus 25 minutes or probe to 75°C at gas 4/175°. Cooking time for leg in a water bath is as for breast.

Stuffing for leg meat

600g pork sausage meat

50g chopped onion, sweated in 25g butter

100g chestnuts, peeled

Milled pepper

Method

Coarsely chop chestnuts and bind with other ingredients

n Remember sausage meat is well seasoned so avoid salt. Use to stuff leg meat or alternatively for a roulade on its own.

Bacon Rolls

10 chipolata sausages

5 slices back or streaky bacon

Method

Slice bacon in half lengthways.

Roll sausage in bacon.

Roast in a hot oven for about 10 minutes.

Bread Sauce

375ml whole milk, warmed

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 clove garlic

1 bay leaf

30-50g fresh white breadcrumbs

Salt

Method

Infuse onion in warm milk with clove and bay leaf.

Strain through a chinoise, add breadcrumbs and season.

n Sauce may thicken on standing so adjust as necessary.

Cranberry Sauce

400g cranberries

50-100g caster sugar (dependant on acidity of fruit)

Zest and juice of 1 lime

Method

Stew gently together in a pan over low heat until cranberries just "pop".

Serve hot or cold

Roast Potatoes

Floury potatoes, such as Cara or King Edward, cut fairly small, roughly egg size. Allow 2-3 per person.

Sunflower or groundnut oil

Method

1. Parboil the potatoes in gently boiling salted water for about 8 minutes. Stop before they're cooked right through.

2. Leave to cool completely, then scratch roughly with a fork and season with a little fine salt.

3. Only roast around the joint if there is plenty of fat – at least ½cm/¾in in the tin – and plenty of room. It's better to preheat the oil in a separate pan, adding any fat from the roasting tin just before the potatoes go in. Don't add the potatoes until the oil is sizzling. Baste or turn potatoes (carefully) as soon as they go into the pan so they have a light coating of oil from the start.

4. Roast for the last 45 minutes of your joint's cooking time, turning at least once. If they look as though they could use a bit more browning/crisping, leave them in after the joint has come out to rest while you increase the heat for the Yorkshire pudding. To make the batter, tip 140g plain flour into a bowl and beat in four eggs until smooth. Add 200ml milk and carry on beating until mix is combined. Season with salt.

5. When the preheated pudding tin is ready, decide whether the potatoes come out or stay in until the Yorkshire pudding is done.

6. Drain well and keep in a warm oven, uncovered. Season again before serving.