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Iced asparagus

Roast duck montmorency

Baked onions - duchesse potato nests

Sauteed mushrooms with cabbage

Bananas flambe

Iced Asparagus

Chill tinned or fresh, cooked asparagus, and plates also. Drain. Serve with young lettuce leaves and a few slices of radish.

Roast Duck Montmorency

Montmorency is a variety of cherry, with tart rather than sweet flavour. These days, any dish featuring cherries is dubbed "a la Motmorency". Use the cherry of your choice, or combine two varieties, as we did! If cherries are not plentiful, substitute peaches or pineapple. Use Kirsch or brandy, instead of Port. Tinned fruits are fine; save syrup for another use.

Allow one hour and 35-40 minutes for a 5 1/2 lb. duck; 65-70 minutes for a 3 1/2 lb. duck, well done.

2 x 3 1/2 lb. dressed ducks, or 1 x 5 1/2 lb. duck

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Thyme or sage

1 small sliced onion

1 medium sliced carrot

Extra sliced onion

2 cups or more chicken or veal stock

1/2 cup red wine or Port

1 oz. butter

1 extra cup stock

Season inside the duck with a salt, pepper, herb, onion. Truss. Prick all over, if very fat. Dry thoroughly.

Place duck breast down on rack in baking dish, in very hot oven (450F) for 15-20min, to melt fat. Remove from oven. Pour off almost all fat. Reduce oven heat to 350F. Place sliced carrot, onion in baking dish with 2 cups or more of stock. Return to oven. Remove fat occasional. Baste frequently to get a good colour.

Thirty minutes before cooking is finished, salt and pepper duck, turn breast side up. Baste.

When done, remove pins or string; place duck on shredded lettuce or cabbage on serving dish in oven with door open. Pour off all but one tablespoon fat. Add 1 cup stock, scrape up pan drippings, mash carrot and onion. Boil rapidly until liquid is reduced by half. Add wine. Cook 1-2 minutes longer. Add butter.

Cherry Mixture

3-4 dozen pitted red or black cherries

1 tablespoon Seville orange juice, or grapefruit or lemon

2 tablespoons Port

1 tablespoon sugar

6 half orange shells

Combine all ingredients, except cherries and orange shells. Heat to dissolve sugar. Cool a little. Add cherries. Let stand 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally. (Prepare to this stage as soon as you place duck in oven.)

Add duck gravy to cherry mixture. Heat just under simmering until cherries are heated through. (Use same care, not to overheat peaches, pineapple). Remove fruit with slotted spoon; serve in orange shells around duck. Thicken gravy if wished. Taste for salt. Strain.

Bananas Flambe

From our Banana Recipe Competition. Sender: Mrs. C. Machattie, Moonambil, Coonamble.

4 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup sugar

4 strips lemon rind, zest only

16 dates, cut in flour, lengthwise

5 bananas

1/2 cup warm rum

Melt butter over high flame; add sugar, lemon zest, sliced dates.

Let mixture caramelise a light brown. Add bananas, peeled and cut into 3/4" pieces.

Stir and turn until well-heated, but do not allow to soften. Warm rum; set lighted taper to it, then pour over bananas. Serve while still flaming. Cream if you wish.

Leave peel on bananas until last moment; but prepare all other ingredients, and have them ready in small bowls on a tray, with chafing dish and burner (or pan and spirit lamp) on a teacart or card table, near dining table, if preparing Bananas Flambe before guests.

Or prepare bananas in flameproof shallow dish in kitchen, up to stirring and turning until well-coated. Then warm the rum. Carry both to table. Flame rum, pour over bananas.