On the day before, rub ducks with a seasoning mixture made by mixing the sea salt, coriander and thyme leaves. Cover tightly and set aside in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours.

The following day, rinse the ducks under cold running water, pat them dry then place in a large saucepan or baking tray. Add the garlic, pepper, fresh bay leaves, thyme, onion and celery then cover the dish with the duck fat. If necessary, crumple a large sheet of wet greaseproof paper over the duck pieces to hold them submerged under the fat. Simmer for about two hours. Check for doneness by pricking with a skewer. If it goes through with only slight resistance and pulls out easily, the confit is cooked. Leave to cool in the fat.
When cool, scrape all the congealed fat from the duck, melt it down again and strain through a fine sieve. Store in refrigerator for future use.

Remove skin and chop into fine pieces.
Place skin into a pan and cook for about ten minutes over medium heat to render fat from skin. Increase heat and cook until you have small crunchy pieces of duck skin. Strain from fat, season and set aside. Strip meat from bones and set aside in the refrigerator, well covered with plastic wrap and a damp towel. Use bones to make stock.

Stock Method Place the bones in a large roasting pan and roast in a 200-220C oven, turning frequently for about half an hour or until golden brown.

Place the duck fat, vegetables and garlic in a stockpot. Fry gently until lightly coloured, turning occasionally.
Stir in the tomato paste and continue cooking until everything is browned. Pour in the port. Stir well. Boil to reduce liquid until it is syrupy.
Remove browned bones from roasting pan, drain off any fat. Add bones to the vegetables with the water to cover.
Bring to a boil and skim off any scum rising to the surface. Add bouquet garni, reduce to a simmer. Continue this process for at least 3 hours.
Strain the stock through a muslin?lined colander. Discard bones, vegetables and bouquet garni. Allow stock to cool completely. Remove any fat from the surface. Pour into a clean saucepan and reduce by half. This stock should keep for 7 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Alternatively the stock may be kept frozen in small quantities for about 2 months.

For the purposes of this recipe, take 1.5 litres of the stock and reduce to 500 ml.The result should be a syrupy liquid, which jellies when cold. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

To assemble Duck meat
Jellied stock
Salt and pepper
The crisp duck skin pieces
6 crepes, 15 cm diameter
3 medium sized potatoes, cooked, mashed, seasoned and flavoured with some finely chopped cooked garlic
6 tbspns dried breadcrumbs
6 tbspns butter

Equipment well greased metal rings approximately 7cms high and 7cms diameter
Baking tray lined with baking paper

Combine the duck meat with a little of the jellied stock and season well.
Place the greased rings on the baking tray and line each one with a crepe. There should be considerable overhang of crepe. Fill each crepe?lined ring with the jellied duck meat, filing the mixture right to the top and finishing with a mounded top. Pull crepe overhang over the meat and use a little of the garlic flavoured mash to hold the top edges of the crepe together. Mound the mash into a dome.
For a crunchy topping, sprinkle with breadcrumbs, press crisp duck skin pieces into the mash and top each pie with a tbsp of butter.

Place baking tray into a preheated 185C oven and bake until tops of pies are golden and crunchy and the contents are warmed through.

To serve
Warm the remaining seasoned jellied duck stock in a small pan.
Lift each pie with a lifter into the middle of each plate. Run a small knife between the crepe sides of each pie and the metal ring, being careful not to cut the crepe. Ease the ring up over the potato top.
Spoon some of the duck sauce around and serve with seasonal vegetables or a green salad.