2 hrs 20 mins
Not Too Tricky
serves 6
About the recipe
This crispy roast duck is a fuss-free alternative to the traditional Sunday roast.
Ingredients
1 x 1.6kg whole duck
2 heaped teaspoons Chinese five-spice powder
1 clementine
6 fresh bay leaves
GRAVY
1 bulb of garlic
2 carrots
2 red onions
3 tablespoons plain flour
100ml Marsala
1 litre organic chicken stock
Top Tip
Support your local duck farmers – look for free-range farms in your area and help the British farming industry. Free-range ducks have freedom to roam outdoors and the provision of open water, allowing them to display their natural instincts of splashing and swimming. Living a good life generally means they have better flavour and texture.
Method
- Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/gas 4.
- Remove any excess fat from inside the cavity of the duck, then using a sharp knife carefully score the breast and legs all over in crisscross fashion, roughly 1cm apart.
- Season the duck with sea salt, black pepper and the five-spice, then rub all over so the flavour catches in all the nooks and crannies.
- Halve the clementine and place into the cavity along with the bay leaves. Transfer the duck to a medium roasting tray and roast for around 1 hour 20 minutes.
- Meanwhile, halve the bulb of garlic across the middle, then peel and roughly slice the carrots and onions.
- When the time is up, remove the roasting tray from the oven. Carefully lift up the duck and scatter the veg into the tray to make a trivet. Sit the duck on top of the veg, then return the tray to the oven for a further 40 minutes, or until the duck is beautifully crisp and the meat falls easily away from the bone.
- Once cooked to perfections, remove the duck to a plate to rest while you get on with the gravy.
- Add the flour to the vegetables, then mash everything together with a potato masher, scraping up all the sticky goodness from the bottom.
- Place over a medium-high heat, pour in the Marsala and leave to bubble and cook away, stirring well.
- Add the stock, then bring to the boil and reduce to a simmer for around 15 minutes, or until thickened and reduced. Strain through a coarse sieve, skim away any fat from the surface, then season to taste.
- Shred or carve up the duck, then serve with the gravy on the side. Nice with duck fat roast potatoes, seasonal greens and cranberry sauce.
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