Maple-glazed duck with orange & watercress

Duck legs are one of those ingredients that everyone seems to love but no one seems to cook for themselves. They make the perfect main course for a dinner party as they’re already portioned and they don’t dry out if you cook them ahead and reheat them.

SERVES 8 PREP 35 mins COOK 1 hr 30 mins EASY

8 duck legs

For the glaze

5 tbsp soy sauce

5 tbsp maple syrup

3 tbsp honey

3 tbsp orange juice

1 cinnamon stick large piece of ginger, finely grated For the dressing

3 tbsp runny honey

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar

2 tbsp soy sauce 3 tbsp orange juice

100ml chicken stock

2 tbsp extra virgin rapeseed oil To serve

200g watercress

4 oranges, peeled and segmented

1 Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3. Place the duck legs on a wire rack, skin-side up, with a tray underneath to catch the fat. Put in the oven and roast for 1 hr. Meanwhile, to make the glaze, pour the soy sauce, maple syrup, honey and juice into a saucepan and bring up to the boil. Add the cinnamon stick and ginger and simmer until the glaze is sticky, then leave to cool. 2 After 1 hr, turn the oven up to 180C/160C fan/gas 4. Brush the glaze generously over the duck and continue to cook for 30 mins, brushing with glaze every 5 mins or so, until the duck is a deep mahogany with a caramelised crust. Remove from the oven and leave to rest. 3 While the duck is roasting, make the dressing by whisking together all the ingredients, except the oil, in a pan. Simmer until reduced by half, then whisk in the oil. If you like, you can char the orange segments. Lay them on a metal baking tray and caramelise them with a blowtorch (you only need to colour one side). Don’t blowtorch on parchment or a non-heat resistant plate.

4 To serve, tip the watercress and orange segments into a large bowl and toss in half the dressing. Divide the salad between the plates, place a crispy duck leg on top and drizzle with a little extra dressing.

GOOD TO KNOW • vit c • iron • 1 of 5-a-day

PER SERVING 509 kcals • fat 21g • saturates 6g • carbs 27g • sugars 26g • fibre 1g • protein 51g • salt 2.4g