Name: Slow-roast duck with orange
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 270 min
Total time: 290 min
Yield: 4
Ingredients: 1 duck (about 2.3kg); For drizzling: olive oil; 1.5 kg King Edward potatoes, scrubbed and coarsely chopped; 3 tbsp duck fat; 250 ml chicken stock (1 cup); 150 ml freshly squeezed orange juice; 1 tbsp brandy or Cognac; 2 oranges, segmented, plus finely grated rind of 1 orange; Orange salt; Thinly peeled rind of 2 oranges; 40 gm sea salt flakes (⅓ cup)

Slow-roast duck with orange

A long slow roast means intense flavours of orange, game and brandy.

Serves 4

Prep

20M

Cook

4H 30M

Total

4H 50M

This dish is about getting as much orange flavour into the duck as possible. The orange salt can be made ahead of time – it keeps for ages in an airtight jar. Use it to season roast meats, winter soups and braises.

Ingredients

1 duck (about 2.3kg)

For drizzling: olive oil

1.5 kg King Edward potatoes, scrubbed and coarsely chopped

3 tbsp duck fat

250 ml chicken stock (1 cup)

150 ml freshly squeezed orange juice

1 tbsp brandy or Cognac

2 oranges, segmented, plus finely grated rind of 1 orange

Orange salt

Thinly peeled rind of 2 oranges

40 gm sea salt flakes (⅓ cup)

Method

1.For orange salt, preheat oven to 100C. Place orange rind on a wire rack placed over an oven tray and bake until rind is dried and crisp (2½-3 hours). Cool, then finely grind in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle. Add salt and grind to combine. Set aside.

2.Increase oven to 180C. Rinse cavity of duck under cold running water and pat dry with absorbent paper. Drizzle with a little oil and season skin and cavity with orange salt. Place duck on a wire rack placed over a roasting pan and roast until skin is golden (1 hour).

3.Meanwhile, combine potato and duck fat in a separate roasting pan, season to taste and roast until golden and crisp (1 hour). Remove from oven and set aside.

4.Reduce oven to 150C and roast duck until flesh is tender when pierced with a knife (1½ hours). Return potatoes to oven for last 15 minutes of cooking to warm through.

5.Meanwhile, boil chicken stock and orange juice in a saucepan over high heat until reduced by half (8-10 minutes), add brandy and ignite with a match (be careful of flames). Stir in orange segments and rind and season to taste. Spoon over hot duck and potatoes and serve with extra orange salt.