This is a delicious fall/winter dinner that takes inspiration from a traditional Thanksgiving meal. I roasted my first duck when I was living in London; as I couldn’t find a proper turkey around Thanksgiving, I substituted a roasted duck for the traditional bird. To my surprise and relief, it was delicious. As with any roast, you have to pay close attention to your oven, as timings and heat may vary depending on your home.

Roasted duck dinner (for four to six)

Roasted honey duck
Ingredients
– 1 medium-sized duck
– A couple of sprigs of thyme
– A couple of bay leaves
– 4 tablespoons honey
– A couple of pats of butter
– Coarse salt, pepper

Directions
1. Heat oven to 425 degrees F.
2. Dry the duck with a paper towel, and season well with salt and pepper. Place the thyme sprigs and bay leaves in the cavity of the duck.
3. Roast for about 10 minutes, as the skin begins to turn golden. Baste with a couple of pats of butter and a couple of tablespoons of honey.
4. Reduce heat to 350 degrees F, and cook for another 45 minutes, basting with butter and honey every 5 or so minutes in the final half of cooking. If you like your duck well done, add an additional 10 minutes.
5. Set aside to rest, and serve warm.

Grilled sweet potatoes and goat cheese
Ingredients
– 3 sweet potatoes
– 1 goat cheese log
– Olive oil, salt, pepper

Directions
1. Skin and slice sweet potatoes into round circles, about 1/4-inch thick.
2. Season sweet potato slices with salt and pepper.
3. Heat a drizzle of olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Pan roast sweet potato slices until browned on each side.
4. While sweet potato slices are warm, add a small dollop of goat cheese on top of each potato slice. Serve warm with your meal.

Roasted brussels sprouts and pancetta
Ingredients
– 1 large bag of brussels sprouts, halved
– 4 ounces pancetta, chopped
– Olive oil, salt, pepper
– A couple of spoonfuls of balsamic glaze

Directions
1. Heat oven to 400 degrees F.
2. Wash and halve brussels sprouts, so you have mini half-globes. Chop pancetta into small cubes.
3. On a large baking tray lined with aluminum foil, spread out brussels sprout halves and pancetta. Drizzle with olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Toss sprouts and pancetta around to ensure equal seasoning. Spread back out evenly on the tray.
4. Roast brussels sprouts and pancetta for about 20-30 minutes until nicely browned. You may want to toss around halfway through the cooking time to ensure even roasting.
5. Remove brussels sprouts from oven, and toss with balsamic glaze. Serve warm with your meal.

Couscous
Ingredients
– 4-6 servings of couscous
– A dash of thyme
– Olive oil, salt, pepper

Directions
1. Measure out your couscous servings based on the number of people in your party.
2. Boil appropriate amount of water (based on your couscous serving size) with a drizzle of olive oil, salt, and pepper. You can also use broth here instead of water, for extra flavor.
3. Add couscous, remove from heat, and let stand covered for about 5 minutes.
4. Once ready, fluff your couscous with a fork, and sprinkle a dash of thyme into your couscous. Serve warm with your meal.