To make the farce. Cook the onions slowly in the butter in a small frying pan for 8-10 mins until tender and translucent, but not browned. Scrape them into a large mixing bowl. Pour the wine into the frying pan, bring to the boil, and reduce to half, scrape into mixing bowl.

Mince the pork, veal and fat finely together. Add them together with the other ingredients and beat vigorously until the mixture has lightened in texture and is thoroughly blended. Saut? a small spoonful and taste to check the seasoning. Then beat in whatever additions you feel are necessary. It should be perfectly flavoured.

If not to be used immediately, cover and refrigerate.

To compose and cook Ballotine.

Bone out the duck, starting from the back bone, and leaving wing bones and leg bones in position. Take out the thickest parts of breast fillets and cut them into strips 1/4 inch square in cross section. Marinate them in the cognac, and port, while preparing the remaining ingredients, shelling pistachios, pitting and halving olives etc.

Mix the pistachios, olives and optional truffles (cubed) with their juice, with the farce (forcemeat). Open out the duck, skin side down. Now fill the duck again in layers, arranging the breast fillet strips so that they will give more or less a chequer board effect when sliced. When everything is added, fold the cut surfaces over the stuffing, and sew them together in such a way as to prevent the filling from escaping. Use a trussing needle and thin butcher's string. Make two or three ties around the duck to give it a good cylindrical shape again, and hold the wings and legs in position.

Preheat the oven to 350F (175 °C) and roast the duckling, basting with its fat from time to time, for about two hours, or until a meat thermometer registers 180F 85 °C. internally.

Allow to cool and refrigerate 24 hours to ripen before serving. To serve, cut off wings and slice duck in thin slices across the width of the body. When you get to the legs, cut them off too.

Recipe after Mastering the Art of French cooking and MMed Imh c/o LeMarYol Bbs Fido 2:324/151.4