Duck stuffed with rice, dried apricots and nuts

Soak the rice in cold salted water. We wash the duck, cut off the wings. We pierce the duck from all sides with a fork.

In a thick-walled saucepan, spread the wings, a pre-peeled whole onion and carrot, a bay leaf, pepper peas, fresh herbs. Pour all the ingredients with water, put salt and pepper and, bringing to a boil, cook for about 30 minutes more.

After the specified time, we remove the carcass from the broth, put it on a dish so that the excess water runs off (we won't need the broth - it can be used for other purposes).

Fill the cherries and dried apricots with a small amount of warm water, peel the pistachios and chop with a sharp knife.

We brew saffron, pour 50 ml of boiling water.

Also boil 4 liters of water, boil rice in it (with the addition of salt) until half-cooked (about 8 minutes).

Drain the water, add saffron infusion, chopped pistachios, dried fruits to the rice (after draining the water from them), as well as spices, lemon zest, salt, pepper to taste and mint leaves (leave a few twigs to decorate the finished dish), after chopping them with a knife. Mix everything thoroughly.

We put the duck in a baking dish, stuffed with rice. If all the rice does not go inside, it can be spread out around the carcass itself, only during baking in this case it needs to be covered with foil. Bake the duck in the oven, preheated to 240 degrees, for 60 minutes. Then, covering the carcass with foil, leave it in the oven for another 10 minutes.

Serve the duck on a large platter, garnished with mint leaves.

Bon appetit!