funkyangelThe Universe has delivered, as it so often does (verily the universe loves me), and so dinner tonight is ‘canal kill’ called Donald…how come? Well, let’s rewind a moment.
It’s Crafty Raft weekend in Newbury, and all the nutters in their not-fit-to-float craft (got to be twice as lonbg as is wide – honestly, if you saw a bath tub, you’d hardly blink) have been racing down our gorgeous canal since the start of the May Bank Holiday weekend, battling with all the holiday seekers in their canal barges, with the combined result that ducklings have been merrily separated from mother ducks, and some of the not-so-bright yearling drakes have been cornered and knocked dead… so here was one of the latter, floating its way down the (quieter) part of the canal near our daily walk over at the field at the end of West Fields. As we exclaimed and wished we could fish it out and Felice (age 9 3/4) expressed how much she loved duck, our black 5-month-old labrador/GSD pup, Albie, jumped in and lovingly rescued Donald, holding him so gently in his lovely soft mouth there wasn’t a mark on the duck…must be the lab in him!!!
Figuring that Duck a la canal water may not be tops for flavour, I skinned and gutted it (thanks Dad for teaching me those skills when I was in infants!) yesterday, and then marinated it for some hours in a recipe inspired by Jamie’s collection – find it here at jamieoliver.com – but using ginger and lime instead of soy and five star, and baking it on some of the fat black plums I got from Fishers on Newbury market yesterday (the best greengrocers in town), sprinkled with some brown sugar and a little red wine. Smelt good. Very good.
I then cut some aubergine and, using one the recipes from the holy grail of vegetarian cooking, “Flavour of California” by Marlene Spieler, I’ve brushed them with cumin-spice olive oil before I pan frying them as an accompaniment. A coriander naan bread will finish it off nicely…ok, my mouth is watering and the girls are bothering me because it smells so good, so will report again later!!
[...] was delicious… The house smells fabulous and Donald went down a treat with the girls, accompanied by a cheeky red wine for mum, and a generous helping [...]