Duck terrine and ginger-plum salsa

Remove the skin and fat from the duck breasts. Reserve 30 g (1 oz) of the fat, and discard the remainder together with the skin. Chop the meat. Set aside.

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over a moderate heat. Stir in the leeks and garlic, then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F, gas mark 4). Line the bottom of a 450 g (1 lb) loaf tin with greaseproof paper. Finely grate the zest from the orange and set aside. Peel the orange, then cut half of it into slices; chop the other half and keep for the salsa. Decoratively arrange the bay leaves and orange slices on the bottom of the tin. Set aside.

Bring a saucepan of water to the boil. Add the beans and, when the water returns to the boil, blanch for 2 minutes. Drain and refresh under cold water. Pat dry and set aside.

Place the chopped duck breasts, reserved duck fat, orange zest, thyme and brandy in a food processor and pulse until well blended to a paste-like consistency. When the leeks have finished cooking, add them to the processor and pulse again once or twice, but do not blend them in too much. Season with a little salt and pepper.

Spoon half of the duck mixture into the prepared loaf tin, taking care not to disturb the orange slices and bay leaves. Pack down and smooth the surface. Arrange the beans in a single layer on top, laying them lengthways. Top with the remaining duck mixture and smooth the surface.

Cover the loaf tin with foil. Place it in a roasting tin and pour in enough hot water to come halfway up the side of the loaf tin. Bake for 1 1/2 hours or until the juices run clear when the terrine is pierced with a knife.

Remove the loaf tin from the roasting tin. Place a piece of card, cut to fit, directly on top of the terrine and weight it down. Leave until cold, then chill for at least 12 hours.

To make the salsa, put the plums into a bowl with the ginger, orange juice and nutmeg to taste. Add the reserved chopped orange. Cover and chill until 15 minutes before serving.

. To serve, run a round-bladed knife down the sides of the terrine, then invert it onto a serving platter. Peel off the lining paper. Allow the terrine to come to room temperature before cutting into slices. Serve each slice of terrine garnished with orange and accompanied with a portion of salsa and toast or French bread.