Serves 2-3
1 mallard
Sea salt
A fully charged pepper mill
1 bay leaf
Sprig of thyme
Watercress, to serve
1 To prepare the mallard, cut away the back bone, then the wishbone. Exert a gentle pressure to flatten the bird slightly before laying in a small crock or a similar vessel.Scatter the mallard with 1 tsp sea salt, then the result of six turns of the pepper mill. Pop in the bay leaf and the thyme. Cover this well and place in the fridge overnight, for 24 hours preferably.
2 To cook the mallard, bring a large pan of water to the boil. Lift the marinated mallard from the crock and slip the bird into the water. Return the water to a simmer and