Directions
- 1Pluck any quills or feathers from the duck using thick tweezers, pulling with the skin.
- 2Leave the duck uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out the skin.
- 3Prepare the duck rub by blending 100g toasted Sichuan peppercorns, 100g Chinese Five spice, 50g sugar, and 50g salt finely and store in an airtight container.
- 4Remove any giblets from inside the duck.
- 5Liberally rub the duck all over with the prepared spice blend.
- 6Trim any excess neck fat and save for rendering, and cut off the bottom part of the duck.
- 7Flip the bird onto its breast and remove the wishbone by cutting either side of the bone with a sharp paring knife, pulling it down, and trimming it out.
- 8Stuff the cavity of the duck with a whole orange or a whole brown onion.
- 9Place the duck breast-down on a roasting rack in a roasting tray.
- 10Add water to the base of the tray, ensuring it doesn't touch the duck breast, to catch rendering fat and prevent burning.
- 11Insert a wireless thermometer into the thigh part of the duck, aiming for an internal temperature of 73°C.
- 12Preheat the oven to 170°C (fan assisted) or 190°C.
- 13Place the duck in the preheated oven.
- 14For the cherry sauce, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil to a pan.
- 15Sauté shallots and fresh thyme in the pan.
- 16Add port and red wine to the pan and bring to a boil.
- 17Add cherry liquor to the sauce and reduce until it becomes a sticky consistency.
- 18Stir in a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar.
- 19Add a little bit of sugar to the sauce to balance the acidity.
- 20Add duck stock (or chicken stock as an alternative) to the reduced sauce and reduce further.
- 21After 30-45 minutes of cooking, carefully flip the duck over using two tongs to ensure a crisp golden finish on the breast.
- 22Baste the duck with its juices if it looks dry.
- 23Return the duck to the oven at the same temperature for another 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature reaches 73°C.
- 24Remove the duck from the oven and let it rest for at least half an hour.
- 25Remove the orange from the duck's cavity.
- 26To carve, first remove the legs by making an incision where the leg meets the breast, then pop the leg out of the socket.
- 27Next, remove the wings by loosening them from the body, slicing into the joint socket, and separating them.
- 28Flip the bird over, find the middle of the breast bone, and slice down each side of the breast bone to remove the breast meat, which will be easier due to the removed wishbone.
- 29Slice the breast meat thinly.
- 30Plate the dark meat on one side and fan out the breast meat on the other side.
- 31Decorate the platter with fruit like cherries and blackberries, and some rosemary.
- 32Serve the roast duck with the prepared cherry sauce.
Ingredients
- 1.7 kilos duck
- 2.5 kilos duck
- 100 g Sichuan peppercorns toasted and blended finely
- 100 g Chinese Five spice
- 50 g sugar
- 50 g salt
- 1 orange
- 1 whole brown onion
- water
- frozen cherries
- fresh thyme
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- port
- red wine
- cherry liquor
- sugar
- duck stock
- carrots
- onions
- celery
- blackberries
- Rosemary
Equipment
tweezerspairing kniferoasting trayroasting rackwireless thermometerpantongscarving boardcarving knife
Tips
- Leave the bird uncovered in the fridge overnight to dry out the skin for a crispy texture.
- Pull feathers with the skin, not against it, to avoid tearing.
- Removing the wishbone makes carving much easier.
- Use a roasting rack with water in the tray to prevent duck fat from burning.
- Use a wireless thermometer to track internal temperature, aiming for 73°C in the thigh.
- Rest the duck for at least half an hour before carving.
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