If you prefer your ducks roasted, here is my mother’s recipe that I promise will satisfy any appetite. RHENA’S ROAST DUCK Makes 4 servings

• 4 teals or 2 mallards or pintail ducks
• 3 cloves garlic, slivered
• Salt
• Cayenne
• 2 cups coarsely chopped green bell peppers
• 2 cups coarsely chopped onions
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• All-purpose flour
• 4 strips thickly sliced bacon
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, sliced
• 1 pound tompinambours (Jerusalem artichokes), peeled (optional)
• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

Make one or two slits (number depends on the size of the duck) in the duck breasts with a sharp, pointed knife. Insert one or two slivers of the garlic in each hole. Rub the outside and the cavities of the ducks with a liberal amount of salt and cayenne. Place the ducks in a large deep bowl. Combine the bell peppers and onions in another bowl and mix. Stuff half of the mixture in the duck cavities and put the remaining half around the ducks in the bowl. Add the dry sherry. Cover and refrigerate for at least four hours, turning the ducks once or twice in the marinade. Remove the ducks from the refrigerator, drain and reserve the marinade. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Dust each duck liberally with flour and set aside. Fry the bacon in a large cast-iron pot over medium heat until crisp. Remove and drain on paper towels. When the bacon is cool, crumble and reserve. Add the ducks to the pot and brown them in the bacon grease, turning often to brown evenly. Add the chicken broth and cook for 10 minutes. Add the reserved marinade, cover and bake in the oven for about one to one and a half hours, or until the ducks are tender. Baste occasionally with pan gravy and add more broth if gravy becomes dry. Add the mushrooms and the topinambours, cover and cook for 30 minutes, or until the topinambours are fork-tender. Remove from the oven. Add the reserved bacon and the parsley. Let the duck sit for 10 minutes before carving to serve.