Duck rillons, Roast duck breast with cider butter sauce, Duck with dried cherries, Duck liver and caramelised onion bruschetta and Duck noodle soup = all are featured in an interesting article by Xanthe Clay in the Telegraph (17 March 07) She focusses on ethical production methods for free-range Freedom Food ducks in the UK. Given the increased demand and greater availability, this becomes more and more important, especially as ducks tend to have a rather better image than chickens. “Decent duck may cost a bit more, but use every scrap and it’s a bargain. With two birds, it’s possible to make two main courses, a hearty soup and nibbles for four. Ask the butcher to take the breasts and legs off and give you the carcass and giblets, too.”
I admit to being a serious duck fan, especially the fattened ducks and magret de canard from France.
Rilllons are “the duck equivalent of pork scratchings, and delicious with drinks before dinner or scattered over a frisee salad and served as a starter.” Made from the leftover skin and fat from the cooked duck carcass, they can be really tasty – and at least by cooking them yourselves you know that nothing unmentionable has been added. “Rillettes” are similar but have more meat and fat, and are more of a moist paté.
Recommended reading:
Cooking and Travelling in South-West France
see our Top 30 vineyard B&Bs in France
find cheap flights and plane tickets from Booking.com
somewhere to stay, a ferry, a train or car hire?
stay on a French vineyard – over 250 vineyards featured across France – hotels, B&B, self-catering 
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