Duck rillettes

They are slow-cooked duck meat, traditionally cooked in fat until tender, then pulled or shredded and mixed with enough fat to make a coarse, spreadable paste. They are served cold, unlike a hot duck stew.

Bring them out of the fridge about 15 minutes before serving so they spread easily, and offer them on toasted sourdough or crusty bread. Cornichons, pickled onions or a sharp chutney cut through the richness.

Spread them inside a savoury tart or use them as a filling for crisp pastry parcels; warm the filling gently first and drain off excess fat. They also make a quick topping for baked potatoes.

Keep them covered in the fridge and use within three days of opening, unless the maker gives a shorter time. Use a clean knife each time, and discard them if they have been left at room temperature for more than two hours.

Yes. Freeze in a tightly sealed container in small portions, leaving a little space at the top, for up to three months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and stir the mixture well before serving.

Rillettes are shredded meat bound with fat, so they have a loose, fibrous texture. Terrine is set in a mould and sliced; duck terrine has 377 kcal per 100 g, compared with 377 kcal per 100 g of duck rillettes.

For a similar meat spread, try goose or pork rillettes; for a lighter, fish-based alternative, mackerel rillettes work well on toast. Choose duck terrine if you want something you can slice rather than spread.

A 30 g spread on bread provides 15 g of protein per 100 g of duck rillettes. The actual protein in your serving is a little under a third of that amount.