festive bird with duck à l’orange Potatoes
Feeds: 6 Preparation: 25 minutes Cooking: 1 ½-2hrs
ingredients
1 large free-range duck (around 3.5-4kg ) 2 tsp ground coriander 1 tsp freshly grated nutmeg 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper 2 oranges, halved 2 star anise 1 small bunch of rosemary, split into three 2.5kg Maris Piper potatoes, peeled and roughly cut into chunks 2 white onions, cut into quarters Several glugs of maple syrup 100ml white wine Generous sprinkle of sea salt flakes For the marmalade gravy: Glug of olive oil 2 banana shallots, finely diced 125ml white wine 1.5l chicken stock 3 tsp marmalade 3 sprigs of thyme
instructions
1 Preheat oven to 180°C/ Fan 160°C/gas Mark 4. 2 Begin by combining the ground coriander, nutmeg and black pepper in a small bowl. Pierce the skin of the duck, then rub the spice mix all over the bird. Place one halved orange inside the cavity of the duck along with the star anise and one small bundle of rosemary. Place the duck directly on an oven rack removed from the oven. 3 Put the cut potatoes into salted boiling water and parboil for 10-12 minutes, then drain. 4 Take one large and deep roasting tray (big enough to catch all the fat from the duck) and arrange the potatoes, onions and the remaining two orange halves in the tray, ensuring nothing overlaps. Drizzle over several glugs of maple syrup, white wine and add seasoning. Place the duck in the oven, with the tray positioned directly beneath it, so it catches all the fat from the bird. Roast the duck and the potatoes for around one and a half to two hours (depending on weight), giving the potatoes a shake every so often so they get crisp. Twenty minutes before the end, add the remaining rosemary. 5 Once the duck is cooked, remove from the oven, then cover with foil and a tea towel and allow to rest for a good 10-15 minutes. For crispy skin, simply place back under the grill five minutes before serving. 6 For the gravy, heat the oil, add the shallots and allow to soften and turn golden. Increase the heat and add the wine, bringing it to the boil before adding the stock, marmalade and thyme. Strain and bring it back to the boil and reduce for 10 minutes before serving.