THIS week we have some Badger recipes for you to try at home. In case you’re wondering, the key ingredient is the Dorset-based ale, not the wild mammal.

Here are a couple of recipes to whet your appetite:

Duck & Sour Cherry Casserole

Serves 4

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 2 hours 20 minutes

2 tbsp plain flour 1 tbsp Chinese five spice powder 4 duck legs, skin removed 1/2 tbsp sunflower oil 8 shallots 150g smoked bacon lardons 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped 1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped 20g root ginger, peeled and finely chopped 425g can pitted cherries in light syrup 300ml Badger Poacher’s Choice Ale 1 tbsp light muscovado sugar Mashed potato and green beans, to serve Preheat the oven to 160C, fan 140C, gas 3.

On a plate mix the flour and Chinese five spice with some seasoning. Toss the legs in the flour, reserving any that is left over.

Brown the duck legs on both sides in the oil in a casserole pan and remove.

Add the shallots and lardons into the same pan and brown.

Drain off any fat, and stir in the remaining flour with the garlic, chilli and ginger and cook for 30 seconds before adding in the syrup of the cherries, reserving the cherries for later, boil until the sauce is thickened.

Add the duck legs back in, stir in the Badger Poacher’s Choice Ale with the sugar, and bring to the boil.

Cover and place in the oven for an hour, remove the lid and cook for a further hour, stirring in the cherries for the final 30 minutes of cooking.

Serve with mashed potato and green beans.

Sticky Toffee & Ginger Pudding

Serves 8

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 40 to 45 minutes

For the pudding: 250g pitted dates, chopped 200ml Badger Blandford Flyer Ale 2 balls of stem ginger from a jar, finely chopped and 4 tbsp of the syrup 1 tsp bicarbonate of soda 85g salted butter, softened 75g light brown muscovado sugar 75g caster sugar 2 large eggs, beaten 1 tsp mixed spice 175g self-raising flour For the sauce: 1 ball of stem ginger, finely chopped and 2 tbsp stem ginger syrup 100g salted butter 150g light brown muscovado sugar 100ml double cream 40g walnut pieces Preheat the oven to 180C, fan 160C, gas 4.

Place the dates, Badger Blandford Flyer Ale, stem ginger and syrup in a saucepan and boil for 2 - 3 minutes to just soften the dates a little. Remove from the heat and stir in the bicarbonate of soda and cool a little.

Meanwhile using an electric whisk beat together the butter and sugars until combined well, then gradually beat in the eggs followed by the mixed spice.

Fold in the flour and date mixture using a large metal spoon.

Place in a buttered 2 litre rectangular or oval ovenproof dish and bake in the oven for 35 to 40 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean from the middle.

Meanwhile make the sauce, add all the ingredients into a saucepan and melt over a low heat, stirring occasionally until it boils.

Using a skewer, make holes all over the sponge and pour the sauce over the top of the pudding and place under a medium hot grill for 8-10 minutes or until the sauce is bubbling.

Rest for 10 minutes before serving with cream

  •  Tip: To chop the dates and ginger use a food processor.