Whole roasted duck with cherry wine sauce

Pull the neck, heart and livers out of the cavity; keep the neck for stock.

Trim the excess skin fat from the neck and butt.

Truss the legs: pull the string under each leg bone, crisscross, tighten and tie off.

Cut the wings off at the first joint, bend back and slice through the gap in the bones.

Score the skin by poking it many times all over with a sharp pointy knife.

Season generously all over with salt and dry brine in the fridge while the gratin bakes.

Simmer the whole bird in boiling water 15 minutes to tighten the skin and start the fat rendering.

Move it to a wire rack and high roast at 450F / 230C for 45 minutes.

Drop the oven to 300F / 150C and roast 30 to 60 minutes more, to 165F in the breast and 175F in the thigh.

Combine the wine, chicken stock, chopped shallot, garlic, thyme, bay leaves and frozen cherries in a medium saucepan.

Reduce over medium high about 25 minutes until 80 to 90% of the liquid is gone.

Strain off the aromatics and cherries, pressing out as much liquid as possible.

Add the poultry demi-glace and the gelatin dissolved in water.

Reduce about five minutes until glossy and it coats the back of a spoon, then season with salt.

Carve: slice down the breast bone, take the breast off, cut through the thigh joint, slice and combine.