Roast Duck, Confit Carrot Puree, Orange & Red Wine Sauce

Ingredients:

• Whole Duck
• 6 star anise
• 2 cinnamon sticks
• 1 bulb garlic, cut in half
• fresh thyme, a couple of sprigs
• orange & peel
• salt and pepper
• 5 big carrots, cut into thick pieces
• 1 cup red wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• block of  unsalted butter
• 1 tbsp blackberry jam (or similar)

Method:

• Grab a large cast iron pot with a lid or your favourite casserole dish or roasting pan covered tightly in foil
• Place into the bottom of the pan, 3 star anise, 1 cinnamon stick, whole bulb of garlic, thyme, orange peel, salt, pepper and carrots
• Stuff the cavity of the duck with the orange, 1 cinnamon stick and 3 star anise.
• Add red wine and chicken stock to pot.
• Place duck on top of carrots in pot and season with salt and pepper.  Cover pot and cook in oven at 150 degrees for 3 1/2 hours
• Baste your duck with the juices in the pan every hour or so
• After 3 1/2 hours, remove pot from oven, take off the lid and turn the oven up to 250 degrees.  Wait 10 mins and then place the pot back in to get the skin brown and nice and crispy.  Keep a close eye on it as this happens quickly and you don’t want it to burn
• Remove the duck and rest under foil.
• Discard cinnamon stick and star anise.  Save juice, half the garlic and orange peel for making sauce.
• Place carrots & half the garlic into a bowl or your blender with 50g-100g butter and puree
• We need to separate the pan juices and fat so pour pan juices into a separator or use a plastic cup that you can poke a whole in.
• Now we start making the sauce.  Pour pan juices (save the fat for another day) with garlic and orange peel.  Bring sauce to boil and reduce until it coats the back of the spoon. Add as much butter as you dare to make a more glossy and rich sauce up to 150g.   Add the jam and stir until sauce thickens.  Add more liquid (stock, wine or water) as needed.  You can strain the sauce but it’s not necessary.  Just push the chunky bits to the side and pour sauce into jug for serving.
• Duck is fully rested now, so its time to start carving.
• Grab your serving plate and smear with puree carrot.  Place your duck portions on top and cover with a much sauce as you deserve.  Serve with a side of broccolini.  You can’t forget your greens.
• ENJOY!