Duck-neck sausage

Making a solitary sausage might seem fussy – but not if you're making use of the rest of the duck. A couple of slices of this works well with a braised leg and a fresh fig or two.

Makes one sausage

1 small onion
1/2mm-thick slice of flat pancetta
A handful of sage leaves
1 clove garlic
1tbsp duck fat
1tbsp pine nuts
1tbsp raisins
2tbsp coarse fresh breadcrumbs
Finely grated zest of one orange
2 duck breast
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 duck liver (optional)
1 duck neck (skin only)

Peel and finely dice the onion. Finely dice the pancetta. Coarsely chop the sage leaves and peel and mince the garlic. Melt the duck fat in a small frying pan and add the pancetta, onion and pine nuts. Sauté for several minutes, stirring until caramelised. Add the garlic and sage, then sauté for a few seconds before adding the raisins, crumbs and orange zest. Remove from heat.

Trim all excess skin protruding from the edge of the breast meat, remove all silver sinew, then cut the meat into 5mm dice. Add to the onion mixture, and season generously. Trim the liver of connective tissue, then double-check for and cut away any green-stained liver. Tie narrowest end of the neck with butcher's twine. Stuff with mixture and insert both halves of liver at suitable intervals so they sit snugly towards the middle of sausage, then tie with twine to seal the larger end.

Preheat oven to 180C/350F/Gas4. Heat a small oven-proof frying pan. Add the sausage, then season and sauté, turning regularly until lightly coloured. Transfer pan to the oven for 30 minutes, turning the sausage every 10 minutes until cooked. Remove and place the sausage on a warm plate to rest for 20 minutes. Slice to serve. '

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