Ingredients for 6 people:1 duck , approx. 1-2 kg already cleaned5 Fegatellli (1) weighing approx. 50 g each2-3 bay leaves1 tbsp fennel seeds2-3 sprigs of wild fennel (if you can’t find any, add another spoonful of fennel seeds)6 cloves of garlic8 tbsp of Extra Virgin Olive Oil salt and pepper
Pass the duck over a flame to “scorch” any remaining feathers, and then pull them off easily with the help of a small knife. Stuff the duck with the Fegatellli, the fennel seeds, a sprig of fresh wild fennel (if you have any), the bay leaves, the cloves of garlic (peeled and cut in half), and some salt and pepper. Mix some more salt and pepper together in a bowl, and then rub it carefully over the outside of the duck, “massaging” it. Tie it up well with kitchen string, then wrap it in greaseproof paper and tie string around the paper as well. Leave the duck like this, wrapped up in its “parcel”, to rest in the fridge for 2 hours. Then remove the paper and put the duck in a baking tin; drizzle the olive oil over it and add the other sprigs of fennel. Cook in a preheated oven, at 200 °C, for about 1 hour. During this time, turn the duck around from time to time and baste it generously with a few spoonfuls of its pan juices. When it is nicely browned and cooked, transfer it onto a chopping board and cut it open, using kitchen shears, to “retrieve” the Fegatelli. Divide the duck into pieces and serve it accompanied by the Fegatelli and a tasty side dish of roast potatoes (2).
(1) In our area you can find Fegatelli at the butcher’s, ready to cook, but they can also be made at home. Fegatelli are basically pieces of pig’s liver “wrapped” in pork caul fat. You need to soak the caul fat in very hot water for about 20 minutes, to wash it one last time (the butcher will already have done so as well) and to soften it. Cut the pigs liver into pieces weighing about 50 g each and lay them on a plate. Divide the caul fat into pieces large enough to enclose one piece of liver. Roll the liver in a mixture of salt, pepper and slightly crushed fennel seeds; wrap each piece in caul fat and secure it with 1 or 2 toothpicks. If you can’t find any caul fat, you can wrap the Fegatelli in a slice of fatty pancetta, once again secured with toothpicks. When you have prepared them, wrap a bay leaf around each Fegatello, securing it with the same toothpicks.
(2) When the potatoes are ready, transfer them into the empty pan in which you cooked the duck; give them a good stir to mix them with the hot pan juices and serve them with the duck