Duck in Orange sauce

Recently I found myself at the London location of the first Spanish restaurant that won awards back in the 1970's and early 1980's. 'Dulcinea' was run by Luis Benavides Barajas and if you lived or worked in London in the days of the maxi dress and flared jeans, this was the restaurant to go to if you wanted a taste of Spain.

Luis had many regular customers, including the stars of stage, screen and the recording studio. One such regular back then was Tom Jones. The ever popular singer would come to Dulcinea after he had completed a stage show where young women threw him their underwear on stage.

Luis tells me: "Tom Jones wanted the same meal, at the same table, on every visit. Duck with Orange sauce. Today that might not be considered a classic Spanish meal. It fell out of favour a few years ago and people often think it is more a French meal. But I can tell you that back in the 1970's, Duck with Orange sauce was in demand. Especially in England at a time when restaurants serving food from abroad were much fewer in number than they are today."

Tom Jones will be pleased to know that, today in Spain, it's not unusual to see his favourite meal on a menu.

Here is a recipe for the classic Pato a la Naranja.