Instructions: Fill a saucepan large enough to hold all the ducks with water and bring to the boil.

Lower the heat to a simmer and immerse the ducks.

Leave small ducks in for 5 minutes; larger fattier ones for 7 ti 8 minutes.

Remove the ducks and hang over a dish to collect the liquid fat that will drip out.

Allow to drip for 30 minutes longer if possible.

Using a hairdryer blow hot air over the skin surface to assist the release of the fat.

Mix together the rosemary and sage with a generous amount of salt.

Roughly chop the duck livers then place in a blender with 250ml of the wine 2 tablespoons of the herb and salt mixture the olive oil and garlic.

Blend until you have a thick liquid.

Pour a third of the liver and herb mixture into the tail cavity of each duck swirling it around to coat the interior.

Push the tail into the cavity to close it.

Then rub every part of the skin with the remaining herb and salt mixture; this should adhere well as the ducks will be very greasy.

Preheat the oven to 220C/430F/Gas 7.

Place the ducks on wire racks inside roasting trays breast side up and roast for 30 minutes the skin should quickly begin to brown.

Then lower the oven temperature to 190C/375F/Gas 5.

Turn the ducks over and continue to roast for about an hour.

The ducks are cooked when the flesh comes away from the bone and the skin is crisp.

Pour off the duck fat from the trays but keep the juices if any most of the juice will be inside the ducks held in by the tail.

Pour the juices into the tray add the remaining wine and boil to reduce to a syrup.

Season well.

Serve this as a sauce with the duck.

Buy small Gressingham ducks and allow half a duck per person. The ducks are blanched before roasting to release the excess fat.

Serves 6

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