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Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall's Potted duck

Rich and savoury, this is similar to classic duck rillettes, but much less fatty. Serves four as a starter. From: theguardian.com

A splash of rapeseed or olive oil
2 free-range duck legs
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 good sprig fresh thyme
3 bay leaves
1 whole head of garlic, cut in half horizontally
150ml white wine
A good pinch of ground mixed spice
A good pinch of ground mace

Heat the oven to 140C/285F/gas mark 1. Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium-high heat. Season the duck legs well, brown them all over in the hot pan, then transfer to a small roasting dish into which they will fit relatively snugly. Add the herbs and garlic, and pour over the wine and enough water just to immerse the meat. Cover the dish with a lid or with foil.

Cook for two to two and a half hours, until the duck is completely tender and can easily be pulled away from the bone. Remove the legs from the dish, then strain the cooking liquid into a jug and set aside.

When it's cool enough to handle, pull away the duck skin, then shred the flesh off the bones. Put this in a bowl, add plenty of salt and pepper, the pinches of spice and enough of the reserved cooking liquid just to bind the mix together – use as much of the fat off the top of the juices as you can, because it's this that helps bind the mix together. When you have a coarse, fairly loose pâté texture, taste and add more salt, pepper or spices as needed.

Pack the mixture into a bowl or four ramekins and pour a little more of the cooking juices on top. Refrigerate for at least a day, to allow the flavour to improve and the mix to set firm. Serve on oatcakes or brown toast, with a good chutney or onion marmalade.